Kyrgyzstan Strengthens Protection From Family, Sexual, and Gender Violence

The President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Japarov has signed a law aimed at strengthening the protection of its citizens from family, sexual, and gender violence. The law provides for amendments to several legislative acts and aims to provide comprehensive assistance to victims of various forms of violence. A key objective is to ensure victims' access to justice and protect their rights and interests. The law is being adopted due to the alarming situation with the level of family and gender violence in Kyrgyzstan. In 2021, more than 10,000 cases were registered, but only 2.5% of them proceeded to court. In 2023, the number of cases increased to 11,000, and 95% of the victims were women. The increasing number of such incidents and the lack of protection for victims necessitated a review of the relevant legislation. The new law is designed to address gaps in legal protection for victims and create stricter measures to punish perpetrators.