Women’s leadership and gender equality at the heart of the climate-water-peace agenda in Central Asia
Date:
Astana, 23 April 2026 — More than 130 heads of state, senior policymakers, civil society and international organizations, financial institutions, and development partners convened in Astana, Kazakhstan, to address one of the region’s most pressing challenges: the deepening crisis of water scarcity, land degradation, and biodiversity loss, and its disproportionate impact on women and girls, during the side event “Towards Inclusive Climate, Water and Mountain Governance in Central Asia: Investing in Women in the Water-Climate-Peace Nexus.” Organized by UN Women, in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the National Commission on Women’s Affairs and Family and Demographic Policy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the side event was part of the Regional Ecological Summit 2026 (RES2026), which took place from 22 to 24 April.
Central Asia is among the regions most vulnerable to environmental stress and is already experiencing impacts that directly affect economic stability, human security, and regional cooperation. Nearly half of the region’s population - approximately 49 per cent - lives under conditions of high water stress. Women and girls, who bear a disproportionate share of household resource management and agricultural responsibilities, face the most severe impacts of water scarcity and climate shocks. Yet they hold only around 20 per cent of professional roles in the water sector and remain underrepresented in decision-making processes that shape policies and investments.
“Interconnected climate and water challenges are not only environmental issues. They are matters of governance, gender equality and, ultimately, peace and security. These challenges cannot be effectively addressed in isolation,” said Ceren Güven Güres, Head of the UN Women Liaison Office for Central Asia and Representative in Kazakhstan.
Discussions made clear that sustainable resource governance is not possible without gender equality. In his remarks, First Vice Minister Yerbol Tuyakbayev noted that climate change, water scarcity and increasing pressure on ecosystems are already directly affecting economic stability, employment, and quality of life. “Kazakhstan views these challenges as a basis for shaping a new model of sustainable, inclusive and human-centred development. In this context, integrating gender approaches into climate and resource policies is a national priority. This includes ongoing national measures to expand women’s economic participation through employment, entrepreneurship, and social protection initiatives,” he said.
Building on the forthcoming Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (WPS RAP) for Central Asia, the dialogue identified gender-responsive natural resource governance, including water and ecosystem management, as a strategic entry point for strengthening cooperation, resilience and peace.
The event focused on strengthening women’s meaningful participation and leadership in decision-making processes, as well as identifying partnerships and investment opportunities to support women-led solutions.
“Effective climate and water resource management is only possible through inclusive approaches. Women’s participation in decision-making is not only a matter of equality, but a prerequisite for more sustainable and effective policies,” said Laura Karabassova, Rector of K. Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University and Member of the National Commission on Women’s Affairs and Family and Demographic Policy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The event served as a platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue in support of a shared regional agenda on sustainable resource governance, with participants affirming that investing in women accelerates progress towards sustainable development and peace.
The discussions will feed directly into a Joint Statement on gender-responsive governance in the water–climate–peace nexus in Central Asia, to be presented at the UN Water Conference 2026 and the Fourth High-Level International Conference of the Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development,” 25-28 May, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
For more information, please contact: Meiramgul Beisenova, Communications and Advocacy Specialist, UN Women Kazakhstan meiramgul.beisenova@unwomen.org.