New Report Highlights Persistent Gender Equality Gaps in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan has released its Country Gender Equality Profile (CGEP), a comprehensive, evidence-based assessment prepared by the Ministry of Labor, Social Welfare, and Migration in collaboration with UN Women and with support from the European Union. The report, presented during a National Dialogue on Promoting Gender Equality Policy, examines structural barriers to gender equality through government statistics, legislative analysis, and stakeholder consultations. Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Edil Baisalov highlighted the strategic importance of the CGEP, noting that women remain underrepresented in public administration. He called for systemic and practical solutions to ensure women's full participation in both elected and appointed leadership positions. While Kyrgyzstan’s National Gender Equality Strategy through 2030 outlines women’s economic empowerment, cultural transformation, prevention of gender-based violence, and gender parity in decision-making as core priorities, the CGEP finds that implementation remains constrained by deep-rooted challenges. The report notes that gender quotas have proven effective in elected bodies, with women now holding 39% of seats in local councils. However, the absence of similar mechanisms in appointed positions has led to ongoing exclusion. Women currently hold only 5% of cabinet posts, occupy none of the positions of Presidential Representatives or district heads, and account for just 3.5% of leadership roles in rural administration. Media representation further skews public perception, with male politicians receiving seven times more coverage than their female counterparts. The CGEP also highlights growing economic and social disparities. Women's employment rate declined from 49.3% to 43.8% over the past 15 years, driven by traditional gender norms and rising religious conservatism. The majority of employed women (77%) work in lower-paid sectors such as education and healthcare or in informal roles, contributing to a 25% gender pay gap. On average, women spend 4 hours and 20 minutes per day on unpaid household labor, compared to just 55 minutes for men. Access to property and finance remains limited. Women own only 29% of registered real estate, restricting their ability to secure credit and scale businesses. They make up just 27% of entrepreneurs and hold only 1.2% of leadership roles in Water User Associations. Digital inequality is another critical barrier. In 2023, just 45% of rural women had internet access, compared to 65% of men. Women’s representation in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector dropped from 40.8% in 2020 to 31.9% in 2022, and they hold only 15% of leadership roles in the tech industry. Meanwhile, women account for just 33.9% of students enrolled in computing-related degree programs. According to the National Statistical Committee, as of January 1, 2025, Kyrgyzstan’s population stood at 7.28 million, 3.68 million women and 3.60 million men. The findings underscore that despite a robust policy framework, Kyrgyzstan continues to face entrenched structural and cultural barriers that limit women’s full participation in political, economic, and digital spheres.
