Dania Espaeva

Dania Espaeva was born in Zhaisan, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union,^[1] on 5 March 1961. She graduated from the Alma-Ata Accounting and Credit College in 1982, and the Kazakh State Academy of Management in 1993.^[2]

In the State Bank of the USSR Espaeva worked as an economist in Aktobe from 1982 to 1991. She was a senior specialist at TuranBank in Aktobe in 1991. She was a chief specialist for AlemBank Kazakhstan in Aktobe from 1995 to 1997. She was the deputy head of the lending department of BankTuranAlem in Aktobe in 1997, acting head from 1997 to 1998, deputy director from 1998 to 2005, and director from 2005 to 2016. At Kazkommertsbank she was director of the branch in Aktobe from 2014 to 2016.^[2]

In the 2016 election she won a seat in the Mäjilis as a member of Aq Jol's electoral list.^[3] During her tenure in the Mäjilis she served on the Finance and Budget committee.^[2] She is the deputy chair of the Mäjilis.^[4]

Espaeva was a candidate in the 2019 presidential election, the first woman to seek the presidency. She won Aq Jol's nomination with 49.5% of the 190 votes in a secret ballot.^[1] She did not participate in a presidential debate on 29 May, but was represented by Aq Zol chair Azat Peruaşev.^[5] She lost the election to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.^[6]

The Order of Kurmet was given to Espaeva in 2011, and the Order of Parasat was given to her in 2020.^[2] She is the mother of two children.^[4]