A three-day workshop "Girls in Science" was launched to mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

The event was organised by the UNESCO Almaty Regional Office in partnership with UN Women in Kazakhstan, the Science Foundation and the Kazakhstan National Federation of UNESCO Clubs.

The Kazakhstan National Federation of UNESCO Clubs selected the most active girls with high academic performance and interest in science from its network of UNESCO Clubs. Thus, 30 high school girls were selected for the training.

Dina Amrisheva, Acting Head of the UN Women Office in Kazakhstan, Maksat Baibekov, Programme Manager of the Social and Human Sciences Sector of the UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty, and Kamil Akatov, Chairman of the Board of the Science Foundation JSC, made welcoming speeches and wished the participants fruitful work.

In his speech Kamil Akatov noted the contribution of the female gender to the development of national science and dwelt on individual examples.

"The number of women engaged in scientific activities is growing. Today, in commercialisation projects under the Science Foundation, about one third of managers are women. They successfully realise themselves in such fields as medicine, agriculture, ecology and food industry. For example, today Gulmira Baimaganbetova is the head of the project on production of anticorrosive paints, Gulnazym Ospankulova is the developer of a new technology of cow's milk substitutes based on vegetable raw materials, and Gulzhakhan Yeligbaeva is the head of the project on production of environmentally safe liquid epoxy resins for industrial application. In addition, women are active in the patent field. 222 of the authors of our patents are women", - said K. Akatov.

The format of the event includes interactive sessions and masterclasses. Information will be provided on various scientific fields and specialities available for study, as well as career prospects in science, including natural sciences, mathematics and humanities.

As a result of the workshop, it is expected to increase awareness and interest among female high school students in science disciplines, building a community of support and mentorship for young girls interested in science. Meetings with successful female scientists and participation in interactive sessions and masterclasses are also planned. Such opportunities will help to create a network of contacts and mentoring opportunities, which will be an important step in supporting and developing future scientists.