Date: 22 May 2006

Kyrgyz leader Kurmanbek Bakiev has signed a Presidential Decree creating a quota of at least 30-per-cent representation by women in the country's state bodies and local governments, "including in decision-making positions." The unprecedented move to improve the situation of women in the country was enshrined in a Decree titled On Measures to Improve Gender Policy, which orders heads of state agencies and local government bodies to provide equal employment opportunities for women and men in Kyrgyzstan. Currently, only the migration minister in the Kyrgyz Cabinet is a woman, and there are no female members in the country's 75-seat parliament.

According to an AKI press interview with Bakiev, he stressed that conditions should be created to achieve women's empowerment, which was part of the country's international obligations. He said that all of the country's draft laws and regulations will now be subject to mandatory "gender appraisal."

"I was asked what would happen if the 'woman quota' were applied to the defense minister's position — I am sure there will be women who will rise to the challenge," he said. He also added that, in his experience, women were less prone to corruption and had a higher sense of responsibility.

President Bakiev's Decree demonstrates a strong political will to ensure that gender equality is a critical component of Kyrgyzstan's national agenda. It also sends a strong message to groups currently working on the drafting of a Law on Equal Rights and Opportunities to be submitted to Parliament. Previous versions of the draft contained provisions for a 30-per-cent quota for women, but this was restricted only to a few state bodies. Now amendments will be added to extend the quota to cover women's representation in all state positions.

UNIFEM has been supporting several NGOs in the country, which have formed a special task force to engage with the drafting of the law and the lobbying for its passage in Parliament. These groups have used the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) as a key international agreement and reference point for urging for equal opportunities for women in Kyrgyzstan.

Published in: President of Kyrgyzstan Grants 30% Quota for Women's Participation in State Positions, UNIFEM, 22 May 2006.