Gender Perspectives in Higher Education: Enhancing Gender Studies in Kazakhstan
Agabekova Z. Salimzhanova A. Suleimenova Z. Yestekova G.
2025Association for Social Studies Educa
Journal of Social Studies Education Research
2025#16Issue 188 - 137 pp.
This study examines the integration of gender studies into Kazakhstan’s higher education curricula, emphasizing their effectiveness, teaching methods, and challenges in fostering gender awareness and equality. Utilizing a qualitative research design, the study combines content analysis of over 5,000 active educational programs with in-depth interviews with faculty experienced in teaching gender studies in Kazakhstan. Twenty-nine universities across the country offer 98 gender-related courses, reflecting the growing commitment of Kazakhstan’s higher education system to addressing gender issues through academic programs. The research identifies various undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. course offerings, emphasizing an interdisciplinary approach that includes sociology, psychology, linguistics, and management, among other fields. The study findings also highlight several challenges, such as the lack of standardized curricula, limited resources, inconsistent institutional support, and cultural resistance to specific sensitive topics, including radical feminism. Faculty interviews underscore the need for professional development in gender/feminist pedagogy and emphasize the importance of the university administration’s support for gender studies programs. This study contributes to global discussions on gender studies education by shedding light on Kazakhstan’s unique challenges and opportunities. While limited by its focus on certain universities and several educators, the study provides a foundation for future research on the long-term impacts of gender studies education in Kazakhstan. Addressing these challenges could advance gender equality initiatives and foster broader societal transformation, emphasizing the critical role of gender studies courses in achieving an equitable future.
gender equality , Gender studies , higher education in Kazakhstan , teaching gender courses
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Nazarbayev University, Department of Kazakh Language and Turkic studies, Astana, Kazakhstan
Kazakh National Women’s Teacher Training University, Center for social and gender studies, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Kazakh National Women’s Teacher Training University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Almaty Management University, Graduate School of Business, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Nazarbayev University
Kazakh National Women’s Teacher Training University
Kazakh National Women’s Teacher Training University
Almaty Management University
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