WOMEN AND POSTGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION IN KAZAKHSTAN: STATE AND PROSPECTS

Traditionally, women have been underrepresented in STEM education and employment. This study aims to conduct a gender analysis of postgraduate STEM education in Kazakhstan and identify promising directions for increasing women's participation in this field. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study is grounded in the principles of liberal feminism, which are used to evaluate women's participation at the master's and doctoral levels using the Gender Parity Index. A comparative approach was employed, with the main research method being an economic-statistical analysis of data from the Bureau of National Statistics on the distribution of master's and doctoral students by field of study and specialty, disaggregated by gender, from the 2019/2020 academic year to the 2023/2024 academic year. The study found that postgraduate STEM education in Kazakhstan is characterized by gender inequality: favoring women in the fields of «Science» and «Mathematics», and favoring men in «Technology» and «Engineering». In the post-pandemic period, amidst accelerated digitalization, the number of master's students in these fields increased, while the number of doctoral students and the number of women entering and studying at the postgraduate level decreased. Recommendations were proposed to remove barriers for women in STEM, as well as to create conditions that account for gender needs and foster an inclusive and supportive environment that promotes increased participation, professional growth, and success for women in these areas.