ASTANA — Women working in Kazakhstan’s civil protection system are playing an increasingly important role in ensuring public safety, taking on roles as firefighters, rescuers, psychologists and dispatchers across the country. Ahead of International Women’s Day, their growing contribution highlights the expanding presence of women in a field traditionally dominated by men.
Women serve in a wide range of positions within the system, including pilots, dog handlers, rescuers, dispatchers, radio operators, inspectors, psychologists, medical staff and department leaders. Their work contributes to the stability and functioning of the country’s emergency response system. Photo credit: gov.kz.
One such specialist is Oksana Petrova, a psychologist who has worked for 15 years in the emergency rescue unit of the East Kazakhstan Region. She joined the team after working as a nurse and earning a psychology degree.
Working in a largely male team required adjustment, but participation in search and rescue operations helped her integrate into the unit. Early in her service, Petrova was required to complete practical training at height, learning rope descent and climbing alongside rescuers before beginning psychological assessments of personnel.
Throughout her career, she has helped people cope with the psychological impact of disasters, including the forest fire in Ridder and floods in the East Kazakhstan Region.
Karlygash Akhmetbekova, a colonel in the civil protection service, has worked in the system for more than 30 years. She began her career in 1994 as a dispatcher and later advanced to become a chief specialist at the planning and operational management center of the emergency department in the Zhambyl Region.
Her responsibilities now include strategic planning, operational analysis and coordination between emergency response units.
In the Kostanai Region, Sholpan Kasenova heads a department responsible for state supervision of safety in the chemical and petrochemical industries. With 16 years of experience in this field, her work involves inspections of hazardous industrial facilities, reviewing documentation and advising enterprises on safety compliance.
Kasenova said the human factor remains one of the main risks in industrial safety, citing formal compliance with safety regulations and the continued use of outdated equipment.
Gulpatsha Rysaldieva, an employee of the Emergency Medicine Center, began her career as a paramedic responding to emergencies. After gaining field experience, she later became a dispatcher coordinating medical teams and managing communication between emergency units.
Her current role requires rapid decision-making, attention to detail and stress management in order to ensure effective coordination of emergency medical response.
International Women’s Day, observed worldwide on March 8 and established to promote women’s rights and equal opportunities, remains one of the country’s most widely celebrated holidays. Kazakh women have historically balanced professional ambitions with strong family and social responsibilities, contributing across many sectors of national life.
On March 8, women and girls around the world will come together to call for equal rights and justice, urging governments to ensure that these rights are fully protected and upheld. According to the United Nations, globally, women have only around 64% of the legal rights granted to men.
