14 May 2024
Central Asia, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Life & Culture

The 2024 UN Asian Women’s Forum Begins in Samarkand

The United Nations’ annual Asian Women’s Forum began in Samarkand today, this year dedicated to the topic of “Women’s economic, social and political empowerment”.

The Forum brought together delegates from more than 30 countries, including female members of parliament from countries across Asia, heads of government, and senior female staff from 40 organizations.

In one session, a representative of the UN in Uzbekistan, Jeren Guven, praised the country’s recent efforts to ensure gender equality, commenting: “We are pleased to note the positive changes in Uzbekistan regarding gender equality and the expansion of women’s rights, which is an important step towards creating a more inclusive and equal society.”

However, another session addressed factors still preventing women from accessing quality education, science and digital technologies. It was reported that in 2022, 32.1% of women between the ages of 15 and 24 worldwide were not in education, work, or vocational training. The corresponding figure for men was just 15.4%. This difference between the genders is still significantly higher in the countries of Central Asia.

According to Forum delegates, institutional barriers — including discrimination in the workplace, unequal distribution of unpaid care and household responsibilities, and lack of decent work opportunities — are among the factors preventing girls from transitioning from school to work.

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Times of Central Asia

14 May 2024
Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan Environment, Kyrgyzstan Life & Culture, Kyrgyzstan, Features

Kyrgyz Farmers Given Ultrasonic Sensors To Monitor Water Consumption

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is helping Kyrgyzstan to introduce a system of ultrasonic sensors for monitoring irrigation water consumption, the UN has announced.

The main source of water for agriculture in Kyrgyzstan is melt water from mountain glaciers. But because of climate change this water may be gone by the end of the century. Even now farmers experience a shortage of irrigation water during dry periods, which naturally affects their crops and livestock.

Agriculture is a key sector for Kyrgyzstan’s economy, employing about 18% of the country’s working-age citizens. “In recent years, water scarcity has become one of the most serious risk factors for food security and livelihoods,” FAO staff have commented.

To mitigate the effects of water scarcity, UN officials, together with scientists from Kyrgyzstan’s Irrigation Institute, have introduced special ultrasonic sensors at hydrological posts in several pilot districts in the country’s Naryn and Batken provinces. The program now distributes water to farmers, thanks to which conflicts over water between field owners have stopped.

“The sensors emit ultrasonic pulses that reflect off the surface of the water. Special equipment records this information, which is then transmitted to a computer. Thus, the system allows real-time data on the water level in the canals,” the FAO has said. Kyrgyz scientists, who invented the sensors, have added that the use of their equipment in low-water conditions will provide an objective accounting of water consumption.

“It is not so important to a farmer how much water is in a river or canal, it is important to him how much water he will get to irrigate his field. But in order to calculate the water balance, all gauging stations should be equipped with sensors. Only a systematic approach will provide the expected result,” said Vitaly Shablovsky, a staff member at the Irrigation Institute.

 

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Times of Central Asia

14 May 2024
Central Asia, Uzbekistan, Life & Culture, Uzbekistan Life & Culture, Uzbekistan International Affairs

Uzbekistan Ranked Fifth for Number of Students Studying Abroad

According to Statista, based on UNESCO data, Uzbekistan ranked fifth globally in terms of the number of students studying abroad in 2021. Chinese and Indian students top the list.

The number of Chinese students studying abroad was one million, and Indian students, 508,000. Vietnam, Germany and Uzbekistan are next on the list, with 137,000 students from Vietnam, 126,000 from Germany, 110,000 from Uzbekistan, 106,000 from France, 103,000 from the U.S., and 99,000 from Syria studying abroad.

The U.S. has become the main country receiving foreign students, enrolling 833,000 in 2021, with Britain in second place with 601,000.

The figures are part of the World Migration Report 2024. UNESCO has reported that international students numbered 2.2 million in 2001, and this had increased to 6.39 million by 2021.

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Times of Central Asia

14 May 2024
Central Asia, Kazakhstan Lead Story, Lead Story, Home, Justice, Kazakhstan Justice, Kazakhstan Life & Culture, Kazakhstan, Opinions, Kazakhstan Home

Kuandyk Bishimbayev Given 24 Years in Prison — But Kazakhs Ask How Long He Will Really Serve

On May 13, Kazakhstan’s former Minister of National Economy Kuandyk Bishimbayev was sentenced to 24 years in prison for the torture and murder of his common-law wife Saltanat Nukenova in November 2023.

While the length of the sentence is a victory for advocates against gender-based violence, both within Kazakhstan and in the many parts of Europe where the trial was also followed closely, many Kazakhs feel that it is still too early to say that justice has been done. In an open discussion that is rare in Central Asia, many citizens are posting concern on social media that the Nazarbayev-era official will find a way to get out of prison early: there is already speculation that Bishimbayev, a former member of the country’s elite, will leverage his political connections to secure an early release – or be recognized as terminally ill.

Attempting to quell these fears, state prosecutor Aizhan Aimaganova has said that under Kazakhstani law, Bishimbayev will be able to apply for parole only after serving 16 years, two-thirds of his sentence – and only then with the consent of Saltanat Nukenova’s family, guided by her brother, Aitbek Amangeldy.

Saltanat Nukenova’s murder has shown that civil society is very much alive in President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s Kazakhstan. As previously reported, shortly after her death in November last year, a public movement called Zhana Adamdar organized an authorized rally in Almaty to raise awareness about violence against women and children.

Yesterday, on the day of the sentencing, supporters of another Kazakh feminist movement, Feminita, protested in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s biggest city. The group is demanding life imprisonment for Saltanat Nukenova’s murderer.

“We do not agree with this sentence; [Bishimbayev] should sit in prison for life. He will come out sooner anyway – we urge you never to be silent: if you have the desire and will for it, resist,” Vlast.kz quoted Feminita co-founder Zhanar Sekerbaeva as saying.

The spokesperson for the Astana court where Bishimbayev was sentenced, Alma Yesymova, has commented that he has received the maximum possible sentence for the crimes he was found guilty of: murder and torture.

“The punishment was imposed for committing a particularly grave crime – murder. The sanction for this is a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment. And by partial addition of terms [Bishimbayev] was given four more years for torture. Under the law the very maximum sentence is 25 years, while he was given 24 years,” Yesymova said at a press conference after the trial.

The trial itself drew criticism from Kazakhstan’s legal professionals. Lawyers and human rights activists are unsatisfied with how both the prosecution and the defense were conducted.

Following Nukenova’s death, President Tokayev signed a Decree in December 2023 to improve human rights and the rule of law, including by promoting gender equality, combating any form of domestic violence and enhancing the performance of the criminal justice system (which, among other things, involved increasing penalties for perpetrators of domestic violence). The human rights components of the President’s reform agenda was also noted by Human Rights Watch. Tokayev duly signed a new law onto the statute book in April in line with OECD standards which tightens the penalties for domestic violence and provides more help for survivors. This legislation became widely-dubbed, “Saltanat’s Law.”

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Times of Central Asia

13 May 2024

@prokuratura.tj

Central Asia, Tajikistan International Affairs, Justice, Tajikistan, International Affairs

Prosecutor General’s Office of Tajikistan and U.S. State Department Sign Memorandum of Cooperation

Tajikistan and the U.S. have agreed to continue bilateral legal cooperation in various areas, as reported by the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Tajikistan. During the meeting, Prosecutor General of Tajikistan, Rahmon Yusuf Ahmadzoda and the U.S. Ambassador to the Tajikistan, Manuel Mikaller discussed issues related to the exchange of information on challenges and threats to the security of both states, the protection of the rights and interests of citizens, preventing and combating manifestations of violent extremism and terrorism, cyber-crime, transnational organized crime, and other issues. A Memorandum of Intent on cooperation on the implementation of the Personal Identity Comparison and Evaluation System to Regulate the Movement of Terrorists (PISCES) was signed.

“This system allows the movement of terrorists to be tracked through extensive technological surveillance, as well as assisting in their capture and apprehension,” the report stated.

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Times of Central Asia

13 May 2024
Central Asia, Kazakhstan Local Politics, Local Politics, Business & Economy, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

A Steep Rise in Popularity of Women-Only Carriages on Kazakhstan’s Trains

Since the beginning of this year, some 70 thousand women in Kazakhstan have opted to travel by train in carriages designated as “women’s cars”. According to data provided  by the national carrier “Kazakhstan Temir Zholy” (KTZ), this is a steep rise from the 34,000 who used the same carriages in 2023.

Introduced at the beginning of 2021, the service which female travellers deem safer and more comfortable than mainstream carriages, has now been used by over 359 thousand women.

Outlining the initiative, KTZh explained that tickets for women’s cars ,  available on eight trains, are sold only to women and are staffed exclusively by female conductors. Any males travelling must be seven years’ old or under.

With reference to forward planning, the company stated,  “A social survey is currently being conducted on the project. Once collated, the results should provide a better understanding of the needs and preferences of passengers, and subsequently, help determine a strategy for its future development.”

The need to launch women-only cars in Kazakhstan was spurred by public outrage following the rape of a female passenger  by two conductors on a high-speed train travelling the ‘Talgo’ route between  Astana   and Aktobe in the fall of 2018. During the ensuing  high-profile case in  July 2019, conductors Zhetes Umbetaliyev and Kolkanat Kurmaniyazov were found guilty and sentenced to two years and six months in prison.

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