The Constitution and labor code of Kazakhstan prohibits discrimination on grounds of gender enshrined the right of everyone to freedom of work, free choice of occupation and profession, labour conditions meeting the requirements of safety and hygiene, to remuneration for labor without any discrimination.
Equal participation of women and men in power structures is also one of the tasks of gender policy in our country.
Today, women work in vital areas, and they support a certain part of the public administration system.
The contribution of women to ensuring demographic growth in Kazakhstan is invaluable, because the birth of children, their upbringing lies on the fragile shoulders of women.
To date, Kazakhstan has developed a whole system of institutional mechanisms designed to protect women's rights and improve their status.
Thus, the labour legislation, while giving equal rights to men and women, simultaneously provides for a number of social rights for women, including for civil servants.
The list of jobs in which the use of women's labor is restricted has been approved by law, and the maximum norms for lifting and moving heavy loads manually by women have been established.
Pregnant women have special status.
For example, an employer is obliged to transfer a pregnant woman to another job that excludes the impact of harmful and dangerous production factors, with payment for the work performed, but not lower than the average salary for the previous job.
Also, the employer is obliged to temporarily transfer a pregnant woman working on a shift basis to a five-day or six-day working week with payment for the work performed, but not lower than the average salary for the previous job.
A pregnant woman is granted the right to extend the term of the employment contract, if on the day of its expiration the pregnant woman submits a certificate of pregnancy. The same right applies to women with a child under the age of three who wish to exercise their right to maternity leave.
It is prohibited to withdraw pregnant women from annual vacation, to get them to work at night, weekends and public holidays and overtime work, and working women with children aged up to six years, provided additional breaks for breastfeeding are included in working time, with preservation of the average wage.
Pregnant women, women who have given birth to a child, are granted maternity leave, leave for medical registration for pregnancy up to twelve weeks (in the amount of at least three working days) and leave for child care up to three years (without pay), while the time spent on maternity leave is included in the length of service.
In addition, there are certain restrictions for the termination of an employment contract on the initiative of the employer with pregnant women.
At the same time it allowed the termination of the employment contract on the initiative of the employer with pregnant women, women with children under the age of three, single mothers raising a child under the age of fourteen (disabled child under eighteen) in connection with reduction of number or staff of workers and reduce production, performed works and rendered services, leading to the deterioration of the economic condition of the employer.
With women, during the period of temporary disability due to pregnancy and childbirth, the employment contract may not be terminated in cases of her refusal to transfer to another area together with the employer; refusal to continue working due to changes in working conditions; refusal to temporarily transfer to another job for health reasons when she receives an occupational injury, occupational disease or other health damage not related to production.
The employer, upon a written application of a pregnant woman, one of the parents who has a child under the age of three, is obliged to establish a part-time working regime for them.
The employer pays maternity leave, leave to employees who have adopted a newborn child, with the preservation of the average salary, if this is provided for by the terms of an employment or collective agreement, an act of the employer.
In addition, for pregnant women during the examination and medical registration for pregnancy (up to twelve weeks), the place of work, position and average salary are retained.
If a pregnant woman is on maternity leave, the paid annual work leave is transferred in full or in part.
In terms of remuneration, all discrimination against women is excluded.
We believe that the current labor legislation promotes the policy of gender equality and allows women to fully participate in the state, political, economic and public life of the country with the possibility of improving the conditions and improving the quality of life of the family.
I. A. Aubakirov-Head of the Department of the State Labor Inspectorate of Atyrau region, Chief State Labor Inspector.