According to the UN, this year Kazakhstan has significantly strengthened its position in the field of online services, securing a place in the top ten world leaders, along with countries such as Japan, Denmark and South Korea.
The country’s rating in the field of IT services and digital development of the public sector is gaining weight every year, proving that this industry is really given due attention. But, as in every large and relatively successful area, there are pitfalls. One of these pitfalls is gender inequality and the so-called “glass ceiling”, which can slow down the development of any field of activity.
Aziza Shuzheeva, Chairperson of the Board of the NGO “TechnoWomen”, told the Taspanews.kz correspondent about the position of women in the IT field in Kazakhstan, what statistics are available in the workplace and what stereotypes can still separate a woman from a leading position in a particular company.
Figures and facts
Turning to dry statistics, Shuzheeva noted another international rating (UN E-Government Survey 2024), according to which Kazakhstan took 24th place in the world in the category of “electronic government” development. Compared to 2022, the country rose four lines, showing its best result for the entire period of participation in the UN rating.
Thus, the state really demonstrates significant success in the development of not only electronic services, but also human capital in combination with telecommunications infrastructure.
By the way, in the same EGDI rating, Kazakhstan is located next to Israel, ahead of China, France, Canada and Turkey.
“The information and communication technology (ICT) market in Kazakhstan, if we take the period from 2018 to 2022, shows an increase of 10 percent per year. The volume of IT services exports has increased almost 5 times. Last year, for example, we almost reached the US figures – 500 million dollars,” the expert noted the country’s successes.
However, the rapid development of online services and IT technologies does not at all eliminate the existence of gender inequality, which, according to Shuzheeva, is expressed in unequal access to technology mainly among the female population.
“The digital economy, as one of the spheres of life, cannot but affect the gender balance. In general, according to researchers, the digital world has created new challenges and risks for women, the results of which we see in the statistics on inequality in the labor sphere, in general. The fact that the digital sphere and the field of employment will primarily affect women was discussed back in 2016 in Davos at the World Economic Forum,” the speaker said.
For example, the imbalance of professional personnel in the field of mathematics, engineering and natural sciences in Russia, Europe and the USA is approximately as follows: there are about four men for every woman in this field.
It should be noted that this inequality is “cross-cutting”: starting in high school, it goes through high school, university and is finally consolidated in the labor market.
“In 2020, the Davos Forum Gender Report was presented. The figures were as follows: in the global field of “cloud technologies”, women account for only 12 percent of workers; 15 percent are in the field of engineering professions. This problem was also discussed in Japan at the World Women’s Assembly in 2019,” the expert cited the facts.
According to the Chairperson of the Board of the NGO “TechnoWomen”, ignoring this problem in the next ten years may lead to the state and society facing a new form of gender segregation. In the corner is the very wording about the existence of “women’s” and “men’s” professions: an attitude that can lead to direct discrimination against women and increased feminization of poverty.
However, in Kazakhstan, the percentage of women employed in the ICT field is twice as high as the global practice shows – 31 percent compared to 18.5.
Glass ceiling
This does not mean that the problem of gender inequality has completely bypassed Kazakhstan. The term “glass ceiling” is still alive, flourishing and taking root in various labor fields.
“These are invisible barriers that can prevent a woman from realizing herself as a professional, leader, manager. If we talk about the IT sector in Kazakhstan, then these barriers are in the form of stereotypical thinking, educational limitations and unequal pay,” Shuzheeva listed.
Despite the fact that women occupy more than 40 percent of the ICT workforce in the country, their positions in leadership positions are weak – less than 10 percent of startups in the country were created by women. Girls are still subject to the stereotype that programming is a man’s business. In general, this approach reduces their motivation to study the exact and natural sciences even at the school level. Various courses and programs for studying IT services are not widely represented in the country; the regions suffer from their shortage especially.
The fight against the glass ceiling, according to the expert, is not only about social issues, but also about the IT industry itself:
“Gender diversity helps to strengthen innovation, attracting women to this area will contribute to the growth of the digital economy of Kazakhstan. Finally, the fight against the gender gap is one of the key points of the Sustainable Development Goals. These are the goals that “TECHNO WOMEN” sets for itself: in the community, we strive to unite all girls and women who work in the scientific field. We have planned to create leadership programs, programming courses for girls. The main task is to inform, develop the field, create a dialogue platform, with the aim of creating a gender balance in the field of ICT,” the head of the organization shared.
Female leadership and new opportunities
The digital economy is not only about challenges, but also about new opportunities for women. For example, thanks to this area, such a concept as “female leadership” has been strengthened.
“For example, according to Harvard Business Review, women are rated better than men in 17 out of 19 key leadership skills. These are: initiative, ability to inspire, determination and readiness for change. Global studies show that having 30 percent women in a management team increases a company’s profitability by 15 percent. An example of this is Apple, the No. 1 company on the Fortune list, where 29 percent of management positions are occupied by women,” Shuzheeva said.
Even the widespread stereotype that “any woman is a good specialist only until her first marriage” cannot prevent a girl, a young mother, or a newlywed wife from realizing her potential in IT.
“The digital economy has opened up new work formats for us: remote and flexible hours. You can easily combine your personal life and career growth, without wasting time and energy on the road. Digital entrepreneurship is also very popular now: platforms where you can launch your online store, present a creative project,” the expert noted.
These are not the only optimal opportunities in the IT sphere that a woman, even while raising children and doing household chores, can turn to her advantage. The expert also named the opportunity to get an education, retrain in a short time, thanks to the availability of various courses.
It is the digital sphere that can lead to a significant breakthrough in the fight against gender inequality, since in this area it is not gender and age that are important, but professional skills. The factor of social networks and constant communication with the rest of the world (for example, through LinkedIn) will help a woman to promote her ideas, share experiences and inspire others without much expense.
“The digital economy in Kazakhstan gives women access to flexible and highly paid employment formats, new professional opportunities and resources for personal and career growth. In the context of digitalization, women can not only successfully combine family and career, but also become drivers of innovation, create a sustainable and competitive economy. Therefore, the state needs to invest in training and support for women’s entrepreneurship,” the head of “TECHNO WOMEN” concluded.