Radioactive patriarchy and nuclear colonialism: case of Kazakhstan

Between 1949 and 1989, the Soviet Union conducted over 400 nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS) in the north-eastern part of Kazakhstan. At the time, the Soviet nuclear program was highly classified, and most local residents were unaware of the tests or the long-term dangers posed by the ”mushroom clouds” and frequent tremors that resembled earthquakes.

By the late 1950s, people began to notice the effects of nuclear testing. Cancer and leukemia cases surged, while women increasingly suffered from infertility and stillbirths. An increasing number of women began giving birth to children with disabilities and genetic abnormalities. Forty years and more than 400 nuclear tests later, Soviet nuclear testing ceased in 1989 amid the rise of the Nevada–Semipalatinsk movement, one of the most significant anti-nuclear campaigns of the twentieth century, which ultimately contributed to the closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site.

However, the long-term consequences continue to affect the lives of millions of people across four regions of Kazakhstan, impacting the third and now fourth generations of nuclear survivors.

Radioactive patriarchy: feminist perspectives to disarmament

Nuclear weapons pose not only an existential threat to humanity but also serve as a manifestation of patriarchy, militarism, colonialism, and systems of domination. Feminist critical theory provides a valuable lens for analyzing nuclear weapons as instruments of patriarchal power, reinforcing militarized structures that privilege control, aggression, and hierarchical authority. As Ray Acheson argues, nuclear deterrence is deeply embedded in masculinist notions of security, where violence and domination are legitimized as necessary for maintaining order, while alternative, feminist approaches to peace and disarmament are often dismissed.

Feminist peace is usually viewed as utopian approach to security. However, from the perspective of those who have directly witnessed the humanitarian consequences of nuclear testing, the pursuit of nuclear disarmament is not an abstract ideal but an urgent necessity. Feminist scholars argue that true security cannot be achieved through the accumulation of destructive power but rather through the dismantling of violent systems that perpetuate harm, including nuclear militarism.

Scholarly research has demonstrated that women are disproportionately affected by ionizing radiation, both biologically and socially. Studies have shown higher incidences of radiation-induced cancers, particularly breast and thyroid cancer, as well as severe impacts on reproductive health, including increased risks of infertility, miscarriage, and congenital disabilities. Beyond physiological harm, women survivors of nuclear testing also face gendered social stigma, often being perceived as ‘damaged’ or ‘unfit’ for marriage and motherhood. This intersection of biological vulnerability and societal marginalization underscores the necessity of applying a feminist lens to nuclear justice and disarmament efforts.

Additionally, those women who gave and give birth to children with disabilities as a result of exposure to ionising radiation bear a disproportionate burden of care responsibilities, often facing severe economic hardships. With limited access to social and financial support from the government, including inadequate disability pensions, these women are frequently unable to participate in paid labor, reinforcing their economic dependency. Their unpaid and invisible care work is essential for the survival and well-being of their children. Yet it remains unrecognized by the state and society, reflecting broader feminist critiques of how nuclear-induced violence intersects with gendered labor inequalities. The long-term consequences of nuclear testing thus extend beyond biological harm, entrenching systemic gendered oppression and economic marginalization.

To show these challenges among women in my own community in Kazakhstan, I created documentary film titled as “JARA[1] – Radioactive Patriarchy: Women of Qazaqstan”.

While exploring the topic of the gendered impact of radiation: state-sponsored and technology-driven gender-based violence, social and cultural consequences of technocratic governance and militarization, the film JARA mainly presents the lived experiences of six women directly impacted by nuclear testing, highlighting the negative consequences of radiation exposure. The film documents the stories of women who have lost their children due to their proximity to the test site, women who endured the anxiety of potential radiation-related complications during pregnancy, and those who are infertile due to radiation-induced cancers.

However, rather than portraying these women solely as “passive victims”, this documentary underscores their agency and resilience. It highlights their leadership in multilateral spaces, where they actively advocate for nuclear disarmament and justice, challenging dominant narratives that often exclude gendered perspectives from discussions on nuclear policy.

JARA as documentary narrated by the women from nuclear-affected community like myself, demonstrates the intersection of nuclear violence, patriarchy, and the lived experiences of Kazakh women within a broader academic framework. As previously discussed, feminist peace is not a utopia but an urgent necessity for creating a more just and equitable world – one in which nuclear weapons have no place. To achieve this, it is crucial to center the lived experiences of women from nuclear-frontline communities, recognizing their agency and leadership in global disarmament efforts. Elevating their voices not only challenges dominant, militarized security discourses but also reinforces the importance of inclusive, justice-oriented approaches to nuclear policy and peacebuilding.

[1] The word jara means ”a wound” in the Kazakh language

Aigerim Seitenova is a human rights professional, researcher, and nuclear justice advocate from Kazakhstan. A third-generation survivor of Soviet nuclear testing and Co-Founder of the Qazaq Nuclear Frontline Coalition, her lived experience informs her work on nuclear justice, epistemic injustice, nuclear colonialism, and militarism. Her research and advocacy bridge legal analysis, community-based participatory approaches, and creative methodologies to examine how knowledge, lived experience, and resistance are shaped in nuclear-affected communities. 

She has led civil society initiatives, secured funding for non-governmental organisations, and contributed to policy, academic, and public advocacy on nuclear justice and disarmament. She is also the creator of JARA-Radioactive Patriarchy: Women of Qazaqstan, a documentary screened across North America, Europe and Asia. 

Aigerim was named to the Forbes Kazakhstan 30 Under 30 list and is a Chevening Scholar. She holds an LL.M. in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex and an EU-funded M.A. in European Studies.