gender violence - The Times Of Central Asia

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Domestic Violence

Domestic Abuse Back in Spotlight After Self-Immolation, Hostage Cases in Kazakhstan

Two shocking incidents at Almaty airport this year, one involving self-immolation, the other a hostage-taking, have once again led to discussions about gender issues in Kazakhstan. Two Tragedies at Almaty Airport On August 25, CCTV cameras recorded a man pouring gasoline over himself at an airport ticket counter after a "personal conflict with his common-law wife," before setting himself alight. Police extinguished the fire, but the man remains in critical condition in hospital, according to the Transport Police Department. The airport chief of police stated that "according to preliminary data, the man committed this offense because of domestic relations." Although internet platforms have been rife with speculation about what lies behind the incident, no further information is currently available. Earlier, on March 7, Mashrapbek Baratov assaulted a female security officer at the same airport, dragging her by the hair and threatening her with a knife while claiming to be carrying a bomb. He was disarmed by a bystander, Musa Abdraim, who was later awarded a medal for bravery by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Baratov, who had a history of violence against women, was sentenced to 11 years in prison in July. The Bishimbayev Case and “Saltanat's Law” These cases reflect a wider pattern of violence against women. The most infamous case involved former Minister of National Economy Kuandyk Bishimbayev, who beat his partner, Saltanat Nukenova, to death in November 2023. The trial, broadcast live, shocked the country and drew international attention. Bishimbayev was sentenced to 24 years in prison in May 2024. The case coincided with the introduction of new legislation, the Law on Ensuring Women’s Rights and Child Safety, signed by Tokayev in April 2024. Publicly dubbed “Saltanat's Law,” it toughened penalties for domestic abusers and marked a turning point in public awareness of gender-based violence. High-profile prosecutions continue. On July 18, former diplomat Saken Mamash was sentenced to six years in prison for psychological and physical abuse of his ex-wife. Progress and Persistent Gaps Officials report cautious progress. State Councilor Yerlan Karin announced in June 2025 that domestic violence reports had dropped by 20.5% year-on-year. Serious domestic crimes fell by nearly one-third, and crimes against minors also declined. Overall, the number of crimes against women has halved in five years. Yet experts warn the problem is far from solved. Kazakhstan still lacks trained police officers, shelters, and support services for victims. Civil society groups stress that legal reforms must be accompanied by education campaigns to challenge entrenched attitudes that relegate women to a secondary role within families. Despite women’s growing participation in business and public life, traditional norms often leave them vulnerable. Many abusers justify violence as a way of “correcting” women who fail to meet domestic expectations. High levels of objectification and sexualization further reinforce inequality. A Continuing Struggle While Saltanat's Law has signaled a strong state response, the Almaty airport tragedies reveal the dangers of ignoring early warning signs of violence. Until legal measures are matched with deeper cultural change and expanded support networks, Kazakhstan’s women remain at...

Suicide

Over 100 Female Suicides Reported in Tajikistan in First Half of 2025

In the first six months of 2025, 102 women and 30 girls died by suicide in Tajikistan, according to figures announced by Bunafsha Fayziddinzoda, head of the Committee on Women and Family Affairs. Disturbing Trends While the overall number of female suicides declined by eight cases compared to the same period in 2024, the number among girls rose by six. The Committee has been conducting large-scale preventive efforts. As part of its outreach, 430,264 families were visited in a “door-to-door” campaign, accompanied by 3,847 “district-to-district” and “village-to-village” meetings and 795 school-based awareness events. Gender-Based Violence: Not Just a Women’s Issue From January to June 2025, authorities recorded 2,121 cases of violence, 277 more than in the same period last year. Women accounted for 1,763 of these cases, up by 256, while cases involving men fell to 251, a decline of 86. Fayziddinzoda cited the primary causes of domestic violence as spousal conflict, jealousy, third-party interference, and mental or physical illness. Economic and sexual violence were also reported. She added that in many cases, violence against men is perpetrated by in-laws, including a wife’s brothers, fathers, and uncles. In July, the Committee launched hotline 1313. It received 58 calls in its first month, nine of them from men. According to Azimova, male callers reported abuse by wives, daughters-in-law, and in some cases, their own mothers. Children and Marriage Official data showed that 30,356 marriages were registered in the first half of 2025, a slight increase of 78 from the same period in 2024. However, 4,117 marriages were dissolved, affecting 3,632 children. While divorces decreased by 291 cases, 230 court-sanctioned marriages involving minors were also registered, 100 fewer than last year. Nonetheless, 26 early marriages involving underage girls were reported. Those responsible have been prosecuted under Articles 168 and 169 of the Criminal Code. Penalties include fines of up to 150,000 somoni ($15,700), corrective labor, or up to five years of restricted liberty. Education Access and Structural Challenges Obstacles to compulsory secondary education also increased: 271 cases were recorded, 59 more than in the previous year. Those found guilty, usually parents or guardians, face prosecution under Article 164 of the Criminal Code, with penalties of up to $9,500 in fines, compulsory labor, or up to two years of imprisonment. Compulsory education in Tajikistan now includes grades 10 and 11, a move implemented in 2024 to combat early marriage, particularly in rural regions where girls were often removed from school after grade 9. Azimova stressed that violence is not confined to socially disadvantaged families. “Today, there are people who are seen as model citizens, even hajis, who unfortunately behave unacceptably toward their wives and children, unbeknownst to those around them,” she said. The Committee reiterated that violence and crime cut across all segments of society and must be addressed universally.

Women's rights

Stealing Brides, Ignoring Justice: The Battle Against Forced Marriage in Central Asia

The abduction of girls for forced marriage remains a troubling and persistent practice across Central Asia. While Kazakhstan has been progressively tightening its legal framework to better protect women's rights, bride kidnapping continues to pose a serious human rights challenge throughout the region. Fighting the Middle Ages? Bride kidnapping has long been practiced in Central Asia and the Caucasus. In contemporary times, some instances are consensual, carried out as a form of cultural theatre to reduce the high cost of weddings in traditional societies. However, when carried out without the woman’s explicit permission, the ritual becomes a form of gender-based violence. Efforts to combat non-consensual bride kidnapping have been ongoing since the Soviet era, yet the practice endures. According to some Kazakhstani legislators, the current laws are no longer adequate to address the full scope of the issue. The existing criminal code’s general provisions on abduction, they argue, fall short of tackling the specific dynamics of forced marriage. Mazhilis Deputy Murat Abenov has proposed introducing explicit criminal liability for coercion into marriage. “Over the past three years, 214 complaints have been filed in Kazakhstan from people who were forced into marriage. Only ten of them reached court. Hundreds of criminal cases were simply closed,” Abenov stated. “Even though the girl proved that she had been kidnapped, that she had jumped out of the car, that force had been used against her, nothing could be done.” New legislative amendments have been drafted and are expected to be debated in the Mazhilis, Kazakhstan’s lower house of parliament. The proposed law introduces a scale of penalties based on the severity of the offense. “There is administrative liability, there will be a large fine, and in serious cases where the girl is under 18 or where force is used or by a group of people, there will be more serious liability, up to criminal liability, five to seven years in prison,” Abenov explained. This new law could be enacted by the end of 2025. Kazakhstan's Human Rights Commissioner, Artur Lastaev, addressed the issue in February 2024 in the wake of a high-profile case in Shymkent. “The practice of kidnapping girls for the purpose of marriage is still widespread in our country, especially in the southern regions. In some cases, such actions result in sexual assault, humiliation, unlawful deprivation of liberty, and even suicide,” Lastaev stated. “Saltanat’s Law” Written in Blood In June 2024, Kazakhstan implemented a sweeping new law entitled “On Amendments to Ensure the Rights of Women and the Safety of Children.” Though years in the making, the law is colloquially known as “Saltanat’s Law,” named after Saltanat Nukenova, a young woman who was brutally murdered by her common-law husband, Kuandyk Bishimbayev, a former senior government official. In November 2023, Bishimbayev beat Nukenova over the course of a night in a restaurant in Astana. After she lost consciousness, he attempted to conceal the crime instead of seeking medical help. In May 2024, following a highly publicized trial, Bishimbayev was sentenced to 24 years...

Sanctions

U.S. Sanctions Former Uzbek Officials in Orphan Abuse Case

The United States has imposed sanctions on three former officials in Uzbekistan’s government who were involved in human trafficking as well as physical and sexual violence toward orphan children. The three people, who carried out the crimes during their tenure as government employees, are now ineligible for entry into the United States and any property or entities in the U.S. that they own are “blocked” in line with the sanctions, the U.S. Department of the Treasury said Monday. American citizens are also barred from doing any transactions related to the blocked assets, it said. The sanctioned individuals were identified as Yulduz Khudaiberganova, who was director of a state-run orphanage in Urgench, in Khorezm region, at the time of the abuses; Anvar Kuryazov, who was head of the Khorezm regional justice department; and Aybek Masharipov, who was head of the district emergency department. “For at least 10 months, Khudaiberganova forced at least three underage girls to engage in sexual acts with at least six different men in exchange for funds and goods,” said the Treasury statement, which was released on the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. “Khudaiberganova used various coercive tactics to ensure the girls’ compliance, including physical beatings, threats, starvation, and isolation from their peers. Both Masharipov and Kuryazov demanded sexual access to orphans in compensation for ‘gifts’ they provided to the orphanage. Kuryazov and Masharipov repeatedly visited the orphanage in order to prey upon the young girls,” it said. Uzbek media have previously reported on the case, saying a district court in Khorezm sentenced Khudaiberganova to five and a half years in prison, while the two men were given one and a half years of partial house arrest that barred them from leaving their homes from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. The sentences were handed down in 2022 but an appeals court took up the case in 2023 after Nemolchi.uz, a non-governmental group that campaigns against gender-based violence, publicized the light sentences, causing a public outcry. Kuryazov and Masharipov were subsequently sentenced to three years in prison. “This was the most severe punishment given the legislation in force at the time of the crime,” Nemolchi.uz said on Telegram after the U.S. sanctions announcement. The group has pushed for tougher laws in Uzbekistan to shield children from sexual abuse, and the government has taken steps to strengthen protections.

Kyrgyzstan Security Rule of law Legislation Social Women's rights gender violence

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.