Kazakhstan population gets older - roundtable in Almaty
The organizers of the event are the National Commission for Women's Affairs and Family Policy under the President of Kazakhstan, the UN Human Population Fund and Centre for Civil Initiatives. Chairman of the Social Council under Nur Otan NDP faction to the Majilis, Deputy Aitkul Samakova, Deputy of the Majilis, member of the National Commission for Women's Affairs and Family Policy under the Kazakh President Yelena Tarasenko, representatives of the Presidential Administration, sate bodies, international and domestic NGOs participated in the discussion.
As it has been noted population policy in Kazakhstan is characterized by aging of women in labor, aging population, high rate of mortality and low life span and a several other problems. All these problems are defined in the draft Concept and ways of their solution are proposed in it. In whole the Concept of population policy of Kazakhstan and strengthening family for 2010-2020 defines main principles, aims, objectives, mechanisms of realization and directions of activities on improvement of demographic situation in the country. It has been developed in accordance with the Kazakhstan Constitution, the Strategy of Gender Equality in Kazakhstan for 2006-2016 and generally recognized principles and norms of international law in human population policy.
Realization of the Concept is expected to give such positive results as rising in number and percentage of the families having three or more children; reduction of maternal mortality up to 15 cases out of 100 000 ones born alive (in 2008- 33.7 cases); reduction of child mortality - up to 12 cases out of 1000 born alive (in 2008 - 20.9 cases); reduction of difference in life span of women and men from 10.5 years in 2008 to 8 years by 2020; increasing real size of family benefits; pursuing state housing policy for young families; bringing the status of disabled people in Kazakhstan into compliance with the international standards and rules on provision of equal opportunities for them; maintaining migration gain particularly due to realization of the program on attraction of compatriots living abroad.
The objectives and challenges set in the draft document provide for increasing expenditures for improvement of demographic situation in Kazakhstan, state support of the families with children, protection of the people's health and regulation of migration processes.