Degenderisation of paid and unpaid work in Kazakhstan?

Abstract

The current article applies theoretical framework of degenderisation and aims to explore to what degree women are degenderised by state policies in the labour market and unpaid work in Kazakhstan. The study applied the qualitative research method of semi-structured focus group discussion among 30 women from Almaty and Turkestan. The findings in the current research demonstrate that women’s paid work in the labour market and unpaid work at home do not prove the degenderisation, but rather confirm genderisation process. Women bear costs of emotional, social and time resources as a result of motherhood, which results in them fulfilling less of their potential in professional sphere. There is also a strong influence of cultural factor that causes women to prevent the degenderisation and reinforces genderisation in unpaid work due to their beliefs in traditional gender roles and division of labour in family. The research contributes to theoretical significance by applying theory developed by Western authors, degenderisation, to the case of Kazakhstan.