To discuss the topic and find digital solutions, the heroine of the MOST Startup Media podcast was Laura Vaigorova, founder of the SmartTestPrep startup, as well as platforms for tracking cases of harassment in Kazakhstan. CEO of MOST Media Aidana Toktarkyzy discussed with Laura how their interactive map works, what statistics they track and how she herself faced harassment from a well-known official. Together, women identified 3 non-obvious but important problems that interfere with gender equality.
Photographer: Mikhail Nilov: https://www.pexels.com/ru-ru/photo/7929695/
Laura says: "It's like we're all cooking in the same porridge, we know each other, and we need people who just learned about it, new faces, so that there is more support from the male audience."
Communities such as Stopharass.kz or Feminita, although heard of, still not large enough to be heard by the whole country. In Kazakhstan, only a few cases have gained great resonance, although the fem communities talk about this every day. Media and portals try to help each other and make collaborations, thus supporting.
Laura shared her experience as the founder of a startup: "There are people who are a priori prejudiced against you. This generally does not apply to the topic of violence, it is more to the topic of gender stereotypes, that if you are a girl, you are probably a little dumber, probably a little worse. And if you're also beautiful, then, damn, something is wrong here."
This is especially common if they work in male dominant industries, such as technology and startups. Stereotypes that women are less competent or less capable are still widespread in . The situation is especially aggravated if a woman is externally attractive - then her achievements and professional qualities can be devalued, reducing to biased assessments of appearance.
- Locality of women's communities
Laura says: "It's like we're all cooking in the same porridge, we know each other, and we need people who just learned about it, new faces, so that there is more support from the male audience."
Communities such as Stopharass.kz or Feminita, although heard of, still not large enough to be heard by the whole country. In Kazakhstan, only a few cases have gained great resonance, although the fem communities talk about this every day. Media and portals try to help each other and make collaborations, thus supporting.
- Women are not taken seriously
Laura shared her experience as the founder of a startup: "There are people who are a priori prejudiced against you. This generally does not apply to the topic of violence, it is more to the topic of gender stereotypes, that if you are a girl, you are probably a little dumber, probably a little worse. And if you're also beautiful, then, damn, something is wrong here."
This is especially common if they work in male dominant industries, such as technology and startups. Stereotypes that women are less competent or less capable are still widespread in . The situation is especially aggravated if a woman is externally attractive - then her achievements and professional qualities can be devalued, reducing to biased assessments of appearance.
- Internal misogyny of women
"Comments there are under the posts about the murder of Saltanat Nukenova, there women say "probable, there was something". It's just my hair on end from how a woman can drown a woman. What to say about men?" - says Aidana Toktarkyzy.
Laura believes that this is all the result of the system. Women are used to living in such a world, and this is not a single story. Since childhood, girls are instilled with a certain model of behavior that makes them perceive other women as competitors and imposes limiting roles. Toxic attitudes can manifest themselves in criticism, devaluation and even support for violence, as can be seen from the example with comments and more.
Photographer: olia danilevich: https://www.pexels.com/ru-ru/photo/6640530/
Watch the full podcast with Laura Vaigorova on YouTube.
Watch the full podcast with Laura Vaigorova on YouTube.