Naila Mukhtarova

Before joining SPIA, Naila built a career as a labor market policy expert in Kazakhstan, where she led key national initiatives aimed at modernizing employment systems and expanding economic opportunity. At the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, she designed and implemented large-scale workforce development programs and introduced digital tools to reduce corruption and improve service delivery – most notably the Digital Control project, which received national recognition. She also served in the National Commission on Women and Family Affairs under the President of Kazakhstan, where she advanced policies on economic inclusion, gender equality, and the integration of women into the labor market. Her cross-cutting experience includes co-authoring legislation to strengthen protections against domestic violence and managing U.N. Women-funded programs supporting women’s leadership and access to political processes. Over the summer, she worked on labor market diagnostics and regional policy recommendations focused on inclusive employment systems in Central Asia. After graduation, she plans to continue working at the intersection of labor, governance, and gender – either through multilateral organizations or international advisory work – bringing innovative solutions to public employment services and workforce development.