Seven Kazakh female
servicemembers will depart to participate in the UN mission on the Golan
Heights as part of an independent peacekeeping contingent. Four medical
professionals, two cooks and one sniper, along with their male colleagues, underwent
a six-month comprehensive training, including language one, and are now ready
to carry out their assigned tasks. It is noteworthy that seven Kazakh female
servicemembers have participated in peacekeeping missions around the world so
far. This is the first time Kazakhstan will send peacekeepers who previously
served in foreign contingents under its flag.
“I was afraid before the start of
the peacekeeping operation preparation, but after we underwent training
alongside our male counterparts for six months, I calmed down. Participation in
a peacekeeping operation is a huge experience for me. Furthermore, I want to
show a high level of Kazakh military training and, of course, contribute to
this peacekeeping mission,” said Ardak Kurtibayeva, a sanitary instructor.
Overall, more than 12,000 women
serve in the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan. Among them are nearly 800 officers,
over 6,000 contract soldiers and 5,000 civil servants.