Understanding the Factors Influencing Women’s Career Trajectories in STEM Education in Kazakhstan

Mariza Tsakalerou, Asma Perveen, Alibek Ayapbergenov, Aida Rysbekova, Askar Bakytzhanuly

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Although female researchers in Kazakhstan account for 53% of the total, those engaged in science, engineering, and technology fields (STEM) account for less than 45% of the STEM total. A similar pattern is experienced with respect to tertiary education students in Kazakhstan with the percentage of undergraduate women being 58% of the total, but only 32% of the undergraduate students in STEM. Thus, the phenomenon of "leakage" from the STEM educational pipeline starts early and persists, albeit ameliorated with advanced degrees. This study seeks to identify the barriers that deter Kazakhstani women from entering STEM disciplines, from persisting through their studies, and from pursuing successful academic careers. Specifically, the purpose of this study is to identify the extent to which various socioeconomic and institutional factors shape the perception of women towards STEM fields. The major methodological instrument employed is a set of qualitative interviews of female faculty in STEM, designed and calibrated for the local context. The interviewees were randomly selected from one of the largest local universities with a broad spectrum of STEM disciplines. The proportion of indigenous female faculty members in STEM disciplines in this university is less than 25%. The preliminary results reveal that the key barriers are disrupted work-life balance, cultural stereotypes, poor self-assessment, and gender-based discrimination on an institutional level. In addition, factors such as availability of research facilities, job autonomy, involvement in decision-making procedures, and encouragement from the institution emerge as critical facilitators for effective female careers in STEM. The conclusions of this study are expected to inform the development of appropriate questionnaire instruments towards a larger study across a section of tertiary education institutions in Kazakhstan.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 5th International Conference on Gender Research, ICGR 2022
EditorsElisabeth T. Pereira, Carlos Costa, Zelia Breda
PublisherAcademic Conferences and Publishing International Limited
Pages230-239
Number of pages10
ISBN (Electronic)9781914587283
Publication statusPublished - 2022
Event5th International Conference on Gender Research, ICGR 2022 - Aveiro, Portugal
Duration: Apr 28 2022Apr 29 2022

Publication series

NameProceedings of the International Conference on Gender Research
Volume2022-April
ISSN (Electronic)2516-2810

Conference

Conference5th International Conference on Gender Research, ICGR 2022
Country/TerritoryPortugal
CityAveiro
Period4/28/224/29/22

Keywords

  • cultural stereotypes
  • female faculty
  • gender gap
  • Kazakhstan
  • STEM career

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Gender Studies
  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

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