ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the valuable role of women in the nation’s development at a festive event to mark the International Women’s Day on March 8, reported the Akorda press service.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at a festive event to mark the International Women’s Day on March 8. Photo credit: Akorda press service.
“Kazakhstan’s women are studying in the world’s best universities and working in large global companies. They work in various fields having mastered many professions, including teachers, doctors, civil servants, educators, seamstresses, and other jobs. Our wonderful sportswomen have achieved success at international competitions. Many women are successfully running businesses and employing thousands of people,” said Tokayev.
He thanked the women and emphasized the effectiveness of investing in youth.
Photo credit: Akorda press service.
The Kazakh President spoke about women’s leadership abilities, noting their fairness, wisdom and creativity, adding that the government has allocated 250 billion tenge ($570.2 million) to support women-led business projects.
“The share of women in small and medium-sized businesses has reached 42 percent. This is the result of consistent state support for women’s entrepreneurship. Last year, more than 6,000 mothers with many children who wanted to start their businesses received a special grant. Many women in villages are actively involved in business. Thousands of women will receive government subsidies for their business projects,” Tokayev said.
Women, he noted, have played a special role in society, particularly when the nation has entered an “important stage of development.”
“There is no one dearer on Earth than a mother. Our most cherished values are firmly connected with the concepts of Mother Earth and Motherland. Folk wisdom says, ‘the father raises a son, the mother raises a nation.’ The future of the nation depends on the upbringing of the younger generation. A mother’s love is the key to a child’s success. The noble qualities of the ‘perfect man,’ as described by the great Abai, were passed down from generation to generation thanks to mothers,” said Tokayev.
The President also spoke about a new concept of family and gender policy that will ensure favorable conditions for women to develop their skills and find their place in life.
At the end of the event, the President presented awards to the winners of the Aruana contest for the best women’s project. Businesswomen who lead socially significant projects in different fields and make a substantial contribution to the development of civil society were awarded in ten different nominations.
