ELECTORAL GENDER QUOTAS IN KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

The scientific article is devoted to highlighting the issues of equal participation of women in the decision-making process, which is a necessary condition for taking into account the interests of women in modern society, including Kazakhstan. The article analyzes one of the most popular methods of increasing the representation of women in elected bodies - gender quotas. These quotas are aimed at determining the minimum number of women candidates to participate in the elections. As a strategy to increase the share of women in the Parliament of Kazakhstan, gender quotas for party lists were introduced in 2020 and implemented for the first time at the elections of deputies of the Majilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2021. This article presents the opinions of citizens in the perception of gender quotas and in explaining the reasons for the underrepresentation of women in political life. The study shows that a significant gender gap arises not only in perceptions related to the legitimacy and effectiveness of quotas in relation to positive discrimination, but also in explanations that hinder women's success in elections, and in which strategies can work better in overcoming inequality. These differences are important because they give an idea of the dynamics that explain why gender quotas do not lead to a noticeable increase in the representation of women in parliament.