Nazarbayev calls to be careful with gender equality

Speaking of Kazakhstan's gender equality policies, President Nazarbayev said that he was supportive of female managers but explained that gender equality should not become an obsession, Tengrinews.kz reports. “I have been working for a long time and I can say that one can rest assured when appointing a woman to a managerial position: women are always responsible, they won’t let you down, won’t lose themselves into drinking and won’t take bribes. They are better than men. That’s why women are not normally allowed to managerial positions (by men), because their supercity becomes too obvious,” Kazakhstan President said jokingly at the meeting with women on the eve of the International Women’s Day. The President said that Kazakhstan is ranked 31st out of 135 countries in the global gender equality rating. He noted that it will soon join the top 30 countries with most gender equality. “But provision of equal rights should not become an obsession! Everyone has got the rights, that is out of question. But it is often the case when women are offered to do something (which is not traditionally women's work) they say: 'No, we cannot do that'," Nursultan Nazarbayev said. He pointed out that women showed better results in the last tests of law-enforcement officers. “Men wearing shoulder straps thought they were the most important, the big chiefs. But it turned out that women were the best,” the President said. According to him, there are currently around 55 percent of women in public administration. This is around 50 thousand people. 260 women are Akims (Mayors) of cities, villages and regions. “A modern woman has to be able to do many things at the same time: do housework, plan the budget, raise children, remain beautiful and work, as well as inspire men. That’s why I understand that your job is very important," the President said. "We often do not realize that men and women have different psychology. But all the Kazakhstan citizens have to remember that women are the best half of our nation: they are hard-working, beautiful mothers, sisters and daughters. We wish they all the very best in their lives,” Nursultan Nazarbayev said. By Renat Tashkinbayev