Sexual violence against women in Kyrgyzstan in 2021 increases by 1.5 times compared to 2020

Bishkek, July 7, 2022. / Kabar /. Sezim Crisis Center in Kyrgyzstan provided 340 legal services and 519 consultations for 427 citizens affected by gender-based, domestic violence and human trafficking in 2021, tdirector of the center, Byubyusara Ryskulova told at a press conference at Kabar News Agency.

She said that at present, legal assistance is often provided to persons who have suffered as a result of serious and especially serious gender crimes.

“Today there is legal protection for 10 grave and especially grave gender crimes. Of these, in 5 cases the victims are girls who have not reached the age of majority,” she said.

At the same time, Rakiya Rakhmatova, the lawyer of the Sezim Cultural Center, said that the center often works with women who have been subjected to violence between the ages of 4 and 78.

“Unfortunately, such crimes are being committed in the country more and more often and become more and more inhumane. The indicator on sexual violence against women in 2021 increased by 1.5 times compared to 2020,” she said.

In turn, lawyer Tilek Toktakunov stressed that today quite a lot of incidents related to sexual, physical, moral and psychological violence remain without the attention of the public and the media, where there is no reaction from the authorities.

“Initiated criminal cases last for many years, in the process of considering criminal cases, the rights of victims are violated, women and girls face a number of barriers to the realization of their rights: discrimination, persecution, in addition, investigative procedures are grossly violated, trials are deliberately dragged out. This is evidenced by the criminal cases that have been in the production of the Sezim Crisis Center for 8-10 years”, the lawyer said.

Following the press conference, Director of the crisis center, Byubyusara Ryskulova, addressed President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Zhaparov, with an appeal to declare at the highest political level the priority of combating violence against women and girls, killings and reprisals against them, to ensure the inevitability of punishment and the effectiveness of measures taken to prevention of encroachments on their life, health and dignity.

“As previously stated, the current situation requires immediate action: to hold an emergency meeting of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic with the participation of civil society, to pay attention to systemic violations of the constitutional rights of women in the law enforcement and judicial system, to monitor the implementation of existing laws in the field of protecting girls and women from violence, to introduce an institution adviser to the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on gender issues,” she stressed.

The Sezim Crisis Center aims to promote gender equality, eradicate gender discrimination and protect the rights of women/girls and their families from gender, domestic violence and human trafficking. The Sezim Center has been operating in Kyrgyzstan since 1998.