History

Formation and development of the “women’s network” (1996-1999)

The beginning of the 1990s proved to be difficult for the people of Kazakhstan. It seemed like the era of the Great Depression had arrived. Factories and plants were closing one after another, throwing thousands of capable men and women onto the streets. Wage and pension payments were delayed. Child beggars appeared on the streets, and elderly people resorted to selling things. Engineers, doctors, and teachers took up stalls at markets. Only a small portion of society managed to stay afloat. Most had to urgently look for ways to survive, because they had children in their arms.

"It would seem that when everyone is preoccupied with their own problems, altruism is not in demand. Every sensible person would scratch their head over other people's problems - they themselves are well-off, thank God. But Raushan Sarsembayeva increasingly pondered what she could personally do to help other people rise from their knees. As a graduate of the Institute of National Economy, she had behind her work in the Volkovsky Geological Expedition, graduate studies, a candidate dissertation, teaching experience, and a tenure as Deputy Director of the Almaty Institute for Advanced Studies under the State Committee of Statistics of the USSR. She herself in the early 90s faced a choice - to wait for the country to establish economic equilibrium by the will of heaven and the efforts of the government, or to take matters into her own hands and find her place in the new life. Raushan Birgebayevna chose the latter."

"In those years, cooperatives began to emerge, people tried to earn money, but they lacked skills in market economics, so many private firms quickly went bankrupt. But Raushan Sarsembayeva had an economic education. She saw where novice businessmen were mistaken and couldn't help but share her knowledge. Thus, in Almaty, at the Institute for Advanced Studies, courses were introduced where participants familiarized themselves with economic calculation models, mastered the intricacies of business management. Many Kazakhstani entrepreneurs got back on their feet thanks to the lessons they received in these courses."

"The time comes when the volume of theoretical knowledge begins to weigh down, when there arises an overwhelming need to implement this knowledge in practice. Raushan Sarsembayeva felt constrained within the framework of the Institute, so she opened her own business education firm. She persuaded acquaintances - economists, producers - and assembled a team."

The idea turned out to be successful, and the company gradually found its feet. The initial capital earned allowed Raushan Birgebayevna to pursue other areas of business. She opened a store, created a travel company, and established publishing activities.

Despite the success in business, there remained a feeling of dissatisfaction and a desire to make greater use of my creative potential and accumulated experience. According to Raushan Birgebaevna, the reason for the beginning of this stage in her life was information about the World Conference of Women, held in Beijing in 1995. Raushan Sarsembayeva found what she had been looking for all these years. She realized that her energy and knowledge would be in demand in the women's movement. She knew women's problems, she saw ways to solve them. The creation of the “Association of Business Women of Kazakhstan” was the logical result of her quest.

This was a new movement for the republic, different from the Komsomol, from non-governmental organizations, from commercial structures. The Association was supposed to include women on a voluntary basis, ready to help each other, without counting on personal gain. By the mid-90s, the republic already had a class of entrepreneurs, and among them there were many smart, energetic women.

The Association has set itself several important tasks during the economic transition period. Involving women in active entrepreneurship, creating a high status for business women, consolidating efforts, stimulating initiative, entrepreneurship, innovation, assisting women in social orientation.

Raushan Sarsembayeva found like-minded people all over the country. Gradually, ABWK branches began operating in all regional centers of the republic. The Association included women who were left behind in life - former engineers, former teachers, former doctors. They did not lose their jobs of their own free will, but for the sake of their children they did not have the moral right to give up. These women needed help. And who can help, lend a hand of support, if not a successful, self-realized friend? Among the first projects of the AJK was the organization of courses where women had the opportunity to undergo psychological rehabilitation, gain skills in running their own business, marketing, the basics of law and economics. Every day, up to 50-60 people contacted the Association’s office in Almaty alone. Associations had to take an active part in the employment of women. Charity events were held for low-income families.

During this period, the National Commission for Family and Women's Affairs under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan was created. It was headed by Samakova Aitkul Baygazievna, who energetically got involved in the work of uniting various NGOs. Thanks to her efforts, women's public organizations took an active part in discussing and creating a plan to improve the situation of women in Eurasia. The activities of Aitkul Samakova contributed to the fact that women's NGOs felt attention from the state, realized that they were needed, and received a new incentive for development.

The activities of ABWK received particular development in August 1999, when the first National Women's Fair of Ideas and Products “Kanatty Ayel - Inspired Woman” was held. The event was organized jointly with the National Commission for Family and Women's Affairs under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The project was sponsored by Chevron, Tengiz-Chevroil, Nursat, and Atakent.

The idea of ​​holding such fairs belongs to the Swedish women's movement. Creative and business meetings are held there twice a year with the slogan “Women can...”. The women's fair is not only an exhibition of achievements, but also a platform where women from different parts of the country gather to communicate, exchange experiences and knowledge. The fair helps participants gain confidence in their abilities and gives a huge boost of optimism. Women leave the fair, inspired by new ideas, ready for new achievements.

Economic and political advancement of women (2000-2002)

By 2000, ABWK had established close ties with 34 international organizations and Kazakh companies. Including - the UN Office in Kazakhstan and the UNFPA, UNFEM and Gender Bureau programs, USAID, USIS, Counterpart, SABIT, Soros Foundation-Kazakhstan, Swedish International Development Agency SIDA, British Council, OSCE, Israeli Center for International Cooperation, Embassies of the USA, Germany, Great Britain, Egypt, Libya, Chevron company, TengizChevroil company, Khabar Agency and others.

A lot of work was done, and yet Raushan Sarsembayeva understood that it was impossible to carry out a revolution in the minds of Eastern women with one-time actions. A global program of action was required.

A new stage in the development of ABWK as an influential force in Kazakh society was the creation in 1999 of the Political Alliance of Women's Organizations of Kazakhstan (PAWOK). The first congress of the Alliance took place in Almaty during the women's fair of ideas and goods “Kanatty Ayel - Inspired Woman”. At the congress, it was decided to participate in the elections to the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan in alliance with the Republican Agrarian Party. PAWOK nominated 10 women candidates from different regions of the country. This was a huge achievement.

On the basis of PAWOK, in March 2000, the first in the history of the republic “Democratic Party of Women of Kazakhstan” “DPWK” was created. This event received great resonance in society. Among the men in power, there were those who approached the President of the country with the initiative to close the women’s party. According to opponents of the DPWK, parties based on gender should not have been created in the country. The head of state responded to this objection like this: “If they want and can, let them act!” Such support had a huge positive impact on the activities of the women's party. The DPWK opened a school of women's political leadership and participated in the work of the standing meeting.

According to rating studies by the Ministry of Information and Public Consent, the DPWK in the period from 2000 to 2002 occupied 3-4 places among 19 republican parties. However, in 2002, the Law “On Political Parties” was issued, which already officially adopted the rule that parties cannot be founded on gender or national grounds. In 2003, the DPWK was renamed the El Dana – Folk Wisdom party. But this party never passed re-registration, although it gathered 54,000 supporters into its ranks. Then the leaders of “El Dana” decided to join in full force the Republican Party “Asar”, which had just been created by Dariga Nazarbayeva. ABWK President Raushan Sarsembayeva considered it an honor to become deputy chairman of the Asar party and join its political council.

With the strengthening of the Association, its authority grew not only among international public organizations, but also in government circles of the republic. It is natural that ABWK President Raushan Sarsembayeva came to New York for a special UNN session “Women in 2000: equality between men and women, development and peace in the 21st century” as part of a non-governmental delegation.

The session was attended by 3,000 women representing 1,250 NGOs. The session recognized that women are gaining more and more political weight and are ready to take on many important issues in politics, government, and the social sphere.

In 2001, ABWK, with the support of the American Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), launched the “Hotline – Red Apple” project in several cities of Kazakhstan. This is a telephone information service that provides free, confidential information about reproductive health. Thousands of men and women from all regions of the country had the opportunity to ask questions that concern them and receive prompt advice from specialists on family planning, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, etc. The project continues to operate today, constantly expanding the network of operators. “Hotline - Red Apple” over the several years of its existence has gained the authority and trust of the people of Kazakhstan.

The end of March 2001 was marked by an extraordinary event: in honor of the fifth anniversary of ABWK, the heads of the association's branches were received in Astana by the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. Each of the women, the mistress of the house and the head of her own enterprise, could tell the first person of the state about the problems that she has to solve every day. But the women did not waste time complaining. The meeting turned out to be not only businesslike, but also warm and friendly. The President praised the country's women, who are not inferior in knowledge and fortitude to men, and through their activities contribute to the development of society as a whole. This communication with the President, his approving words, his support gave business women a powerful positive impetus for further successful work.

In 2001, ABWK, together with the Soros-Kazakhstan Foundation, carried out a lot of work to study the economic situation of women. 2,500 people from 10 regions of the republic took part in the sociological study. To the question “What worries you most now?” Most women answered: “Uncertainty about the future.” Alarming results were obtained: only 56.6% of women had permanent jobs, and of all the unemployed, two thirds were women. At the second stage of the project, the task was set - jointly with the government, developing a strategy and taking measures to improve the economic opportunities of women.

At the end of 2001, on the eve of the Independence Day of the Republic, ABWK held a solemn presentation of the book-album “Azhar - a hundred women's faces”, a collection of portraits of outstanding compatriots. Among them there were the politicians, economists, teachers, doctors, and artists. Diverse, extraordinary, brave, energetic, strong and beautiful, all of them are business women of Kazakhstan.

In 2002, ABWK representatives took part in several international forums: a conference and exhibition of the network of women entrepreneurs in the UK, the Arab International Conference of Women Entrepreneurs in the UAE, the World Conference of Women Entrepreneurs in St. Petersburg, and technology seminars in Italy. At the Global Women's Summit in Barcelona, ​​the ABWK delegation represented independent Kazakhstan at a decent level.

The Age of Gender (2003-2006)

In January 2003, a seminar “Political Leadership of Women in Kazakhstan” was held in Almaty, in which prominent Kazakh political scientists Erlan Karin, Andrey Chebotarev, Mayra Salykova took part. At the seminar, ABWK put forward a minimum program - the renewal of the Kazakh political elite through literate and socially active women. The main idea of ​​the program is this: it is necessary to give women more chances to participate in the political, economic, and social life of the country on an equal basis with men. Maximum use of the intellectual and moral potential of the female population will ensure the rights and freedoms of all citizens, and therefore will make the republic strong and prosperous.

The experience of the ABWK shows that throughout the post-Soviet space women have to solve similar problems, and therefore ways to overcome obstacles can and should be sought together. In 2003, the ABWK delegation took part in the conference “International experience in state provision of equality between men and women” in Kyiv. This forum brought together representatives of NGOs and government agencies from Ukraine, Lithuania, Moldova, Belarus, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. Women shared practical experience and discussed pressing problems.

By 2005, the ABWK reached a new level of development of the ideas of the women's movement. The Association opened the Central Asian Institute of Gender and Social Development. The objectives of this institute are defined: conducting independent research on current social and political issues, analyzing trends in various spheres of society, developing practical recommendations and activities, developing international relations, cooperation with international organizations, holding seminars, conferences, forums, organizing consulting services.

ABWK continues to work fruitfully on projects in various directions. One of the achievements is Raushan Sarsembayeva’s doctoral dissertation “Gender aspects of systemic socio-economic reforms in Kazakhstan: sociological analysis.” This work incorporates the results of many sociological studies on the position of women in politics, economics, and the social sphere of society, conducted by the ABWK. Raushan Birgebayevna scientifically substantiated what she had been doing all this decade.

Together with other NGOs and international organizations, ABWK took part in the discussion and adoption of supporting documents for the creation of the “Gender Strategy of the Republic of Kazakhstan”, which was signed by President N. Nazarbayev on November 29, 2005.

In August, the second National Women’s Fair of Ideas and Products “Kanatty Ayel – Inspired Woman”, which was organized by the National Commission for Family and Women’s Affairs under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, was successfully held in Almaty. We must give credit to its chairman, Aitkul Baygazievna Samakova, that she never forgot that the organizer of the first women's fair in Kazakhstan in 1999 was ABWK.

In September, on the eve of the “Year of the Family 2006” announced by the President of Kazakhstan, the project “Karlygash - mothers against smoking” was launched in several cities of the republic. A volunteer network was created to monitor implementation of the ban on the sale of tobacco products to adolescents.

And in October, in Berlin, together with the Kazakh-German Society, an international conference “Kazakhstan: progress through women? The growing role of women in politics, economics, the media and their influence on social changes in Kazakhstan.” During the conference, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Union of German Businesswomen and ABWK.

In October and November 2005, ABWK took an active part in the election campaign of Nursultan Nazarbayev, a candidate for the post of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Many regional leaders of the ABWK received letters of gratitude from the head of state.

ABWK has come to its tenth anniversary as an authoritative, widely known organization. The opinions of business women are listened to at the highest level when solving the most pressing issues; many non-governmental organizations seek to cooperate with it. ABWK has managed to establish business connections and friendly relationships with many women's organizations in the world. Thanks to the tireless work of Raushan Sarsembayeva and her friends in the Association, the world discovered the sovereign state of Kazakhstan. The myth of the Eastern woman as a submissive, illiterate slave was destroyed. ABWK has proven that a Kazakh woman can achieve success in business, in public life, and in politics, that she is able not only to survive in difficult conditions, but to rise, persevere and lead others.