Breaking the glass ceiling in Kazakhstani science: Government grants and gender representation trends

Type of the article: Research ArticleEqual participation in scientific activity is an important indicator of the fair distribution of opportunities in a democratic society. This article examines the issue of women’s representation as leaders in Kazakhstani science, with a particular focus on the gender aspect of participation in scientific projects. For this purpose, the study analyzed the distribution of grants for scientific projects funded by the government between 2018 and 2024 in Kazakhstan. The findings show a positive trend in women’s participation in project leadership over the period analyzed, with the share of projects led by women increasing from 38.2% in 2018 to 48.4% in 2022, noting that most projects are funded for three years. At the same time, the analysis reveals pronounced disciplinary disparities. Women are most strongly represented in the social sciences and humanities, while their participation remains considerably lower in technical and natural science fields. The results also indicate a persistent gender gap in access to large-scale funding, as projects with higher budget allocations are predominantly led by male researchers. Overall, the results highlight both quantitative progress and structural limitations, underscoring the need for targeted policy measures aimed not only at increasing women’s participation but also at reducing gender imbalances across scientific fields and funding levels in Kazakhstani science.AcknowledgmentsThe research presented in this paper was funded by the Science Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan under grant No. AP22784063 “Strategic Directions of Women’s Empowerment and Access to Quality Employment in Kazakhstan”.