Gender Balance in School Literature: The Representation of Kazakh Women Writers in Educational Textbooks
Toleu A. Nuriman B. Beylur S.
January-March 2026SAGE Publications Inc.
SAGE Open
2026#16Issue 1
This study investigates gender representation in Kazakh school textbooks through a mixed-methods approach that combines statistical analysis and qualitative thematic content analysis. Drawing upon official membership data from the Writers’ Union of Kazakhstan and a comprehensive review of approved Kazakh-language literature textbooks (grades 1–11, 2018–2023), the research identifies significant gender disparities in author representation and thematic focus. Although women constitute nearly one-fifth of registered writers, only 5.7% of textbook authors are female, while the majority of textbook compilers are women. Female authors are predominantly associated with themes of childhood, education, and nature, whereas male authors dominate topics such as history, patriotism, and national identity. The study also finds that both male and female writers inadvertently reinforce traditional gender stereotypes through recurring imagery and narrative tropes. These findings reveal persistent gender asymmetry in the Kazakh literary curriculum, reflecting broader international trends of underrepresentation of women in educational materials. The study underscores the need for curriculum reform to promote equitable gender representation in educational and cultural policy.
content analysis , curriculum , gender studies , Kazakh literature , school textbooks , women writers
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Al Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Eurasian Research Institute, Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Al Farabi Kazakh National University
Eurasian Research Institute
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