Women account for 86% of school teachers in Kyrgyzstan

The share of women with higher professional education was 30% in the total number of employed people, while the share of men was 18% in 2023, according to the National Statistics Committee.

The gender imbalance in the teaching staff of schools continues to persist. The share of women in the total number of teachers was 86% in the 2023-2024 academic year, of men 14%. The number of women predominates among both primary school teachers (grades 1-4) and middle school teachers (grades 5-11).

The share of female students in vocational colleges remains high, amounting to about 58%. A predominance of women is observed in such specialties as education, healthcare, art and culture, economics and management, service. Men choose professions related to construction and architecture, mechanical engineering and materials technology, mineral development, electronic engineering, and energy.

The number of women among students of universities was about 53%. Gender segregation in the choice of specialty remains.

The proportion of female students is traditionally high in pedagogical education (90% of the total number of students), natural sciences (about 68%), and the service sector (more than 53%). Men mainly choose specialties related to architecture and construction (more than 82%), technical sciences (about 76%), agricultural sciences (about 72%), and healthcare (about 60%).

Gender imbalance also characterized the number of teachers in the vocational education system. Women predominated among teaching staff in the primary (more than 52%), secondary (more than 73%) and higher professional education (60%) systems.