Gender Inequality and Social Well-Being in Kazakhstan: A Quantitative Assessment of Structural Factors

Gender inequality remains a structural barrier to achieving social well-being and sustainable economic development in Kazakhstan. The aim of the study is to identify the structural factors of gender inequality in the labour market of Kazakhstan during 2020-2024, including the roles of horizontal and vertical segregation and unpaid labour in the formation of income and employment gaps between men and women. The research methods are based on a quantitative approach using official data from the Bureau of National Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2020-2024, in terms of average and median wages, the number of unemployed, and the proportion of women in leadership positions. Descriptive analysis methods, gender pay gap calculations, and Pearson correlation analyses were used to identify relationships among the unemployment rate, income, and the gender employment structure. The study's results showed a stable gender asymmetry. In particular, the gender pay gap during the analysed period ranged from 20% to 26%, the proportion of women in leadership positions remained stable at about 41%, but their representation in Parliament decreased from 26.5% to 18.4%. There is a strong positive correlation between unemployment and wages (r = 0.66), which indicates the concentration of income growth in male, high-paying sectors and structural restrictions on women's access to such positions. The results confirm the systemic and institutional nature of gender inequality in Kazakhstan and emphasize the need to develop targeted measures to reduce vertical segregation and increase women's access to high-income employment.

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