Lyazzat Kaltayevais a dedicated advocate for disability rights, gender equality, and social inclusion in Kazakhstan. A member of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, she has spent over 20 years advancing the rights of people with disabilities through her work in government and the non-profit sector. She has been a key figure on the National Commission for Women’s Affairs and Family-Demographic Policy under the President of Kazakhstan.

Her expertise spans political participation, sexual and reproductive rights, and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Kaltayevais has received international recognition for her work, including the UN ESCAP “Disability Rights Advocate” Award. She has also contributed as a member of various expert groups, including the OSCE ODIHR’s Political Participation of Persons with Disabilities and the Asia-Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities Working Group. She played an instrumental role in founding and coordinating the Central Asian Network of Women with Disabilities, which she led from 2005 to 2016. Kaltayevais is also an accomplished scholar with an MBA from Almaty University of Management and a Law degree from Caspian University. Her recent publications have focused on critical issues such as monitoring the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and assessing the unique social and gender needs of women with disabilities in Kazakhstan.