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Women's rights

8 March Women’s Rights Rally Takes Place in Bishkek

A rally in support of women’s rights took place in Bishkek's Maxim Gorky Square on March 8, International Women’s Day. More than a hundred people gathered at the square, including activists, public figures, and city residents who came to support the initiative. The rally has become one of the traditional events held in the capital of Kyrgyzstan on 8 March. For about ten years, marches and public gatherings dedicated to equal rights and women’s safety have been organized in Bishkek on this day. In previous years, participants more often held marches through the city center. However, this time the authorities allowed the event only in the format of a peaceful rally in the park. Initially, the organizers planned a march, but the gathering ultimately took place in Gorky Square. [caption id="attachment_45112" align="aligncenter" width="225"] @TCA[/caption] The rally began during the day and lasted for about an hour. Police officers monitored public order during the event. Participants gathered in small groups, held posters and banners, and discussed issues related to women’s rights and gender equality. Among those present at the rally were Member of Parliament Elvira Surabaldieva, former ombudsman Atyr Abdrakhmatova, as well as human rights defenders, content creators, and public activists. Representatives of various civic initiatives and activists who regularly take part in similar events in Bishkek were also present. Many participants brought posters addressing themes of equal rights and women’s safety. The signs included slogans against domestic violence and calls to protect women’s rights. Posters traditionally serve as the main visual element of such events, helping participants draw attention to issues of gender inequality and the need to address cases of violence. [caption id="attachment_45113" align="aligncenter" width="225"] @TCA[/caption] Rallies dedicated to women’s rights are held in Bishkek every year on March 8. They usually bring together activists and residents who want to remind the public that International Women’s Day is connected not only with celebrations but also with the historical struggle for equal rights. Despite changes in format over the years, such events remain among the most visible civic initiatives in the capital of Kyrgyzstan focused on gender equality and women’s rights.

Justice

Mirziyoyev: Violence Against Women and Children Will Not Be Tolerated in Uzbekistan

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has announced tougher measures against violence toward women and children, and unveiled new economic and education programs aimed at expanding opportunities for women across Uzbekistan. Speaking on March 6 at a ceremony in Tashkent marking International Women’s Day, the president referred to a decree he signed on March 3 that strengthens the country’s response to domestic violence. According to remarks reported by Uzbek media and the presidential press service, the decree introduces a stricter system for addressing harassment and violence against women and minors. Mirziyoyev said Uzbekistan has adopted the creation of an uncompromising environment against violence as a strategic goal. “Anyone who raises a hand against women or children will either leave Uzbekistan or be forced to live according to the law,” he said during the event held at the Kuksaroy residence. Mirziyoyev also stated that the decree includes tougher penalties for certain crimes against minors. According to his remarks, in some cases crimes involving pedophilia will now carry life imprisonment. He noted that legal experts had raised objections during discussions but said he insisted on including the punishment in the decree. In addition to legal measures, Mirziyoyev outlined several initiatives focused on education, employment, and rehabilitation programs for women. According to statements made during the event, women serving sentences in correctional facilities will be given the opportunity to apply to universities and study remotely. Officials said many female inmates currently have only secondary education and lack professional skills, while some have expressed interest in pursuing higher education. To address this, the government plans to launch a program called “New Life,” which will provide vocational training for women in prisons. Participants will study for three to six months in professional training programs and receive certificates. Those who wish to enter universities will be able to take entrance exams inside correctional institutions. Women admitted to universities on a contract basis will be eligible for interest-free loans, repayable after completing their sentences and securing employment. The government also plans to expand economic support for women nationwide. According to Mirziyoyev's speech, 166,000 women will receive training in modern professions and entrepreneurship this year, while another 100,000 will study information technology skills. A separate initiative called “Daromadli Ayol” (“Profitable Woman”) will support home-based businesses. With the help of experienced entrepreneurs, the program aims to create employment for 50,000 women in areas such as handicrafts, poultry farming, beekeeping, and household agriculture. Officials also said that under the “Hamroh” program, around 1 trillion UZS (about $82,440,000) will be allocated to finance 3,000 business projects led by women. Overall, the government aims to help 1.5 million women generate income this year, including 400,000 who are expected to enter business activities. More than 25 trillion UZS (about $2,060,950,000) in financial resources will be directed toward these initiatives.

Pink Tax

Gender Pricing and Tax Policy in Kazakhstan: Does a “Pink Tax” Exist?

Women often pay more for everyday goods, from hygiene products to personal care services. In public discourse in Kazakhstan, this phenomenon is often referred to as the “pink tax.” But does such a tax exist, or are these differences the result of market pricing strategies? Is a “Pink Tax” Recognized Under Kazakhstan’s Tax Code? If understood literally as a separate levy established in the Tax Code, the so-called “pink tax” does not exist in Kazakhstan. The country’s tax system includes corporate and individual income taxes, value-added tax (VAT), excise duties, social tax, property taxes, and other mandatory payments. There is no gender-based category. In Kazakhstan, the term is generally used to describe a potential “gender markup,” where products marketed to women are priced higher than comparable versions aimed at men, even when their features are largely the same. These differences are most often observed in items such as razors, shower gels, and other personal care products, where variation may be limited to packaging or branding. However, Kazakhstan lacks large-scale, representative studies on the issue. Most claims are based on retail observations and isolated price comparisons rather than comprehensive market research. How Tax Policy Affects Essential Hygiene Products: VAT and the “Tampon Tax” Public debate increasingly uses the term “tampon tax” to describe situations where menstrual hygiene products are subject to the standard VAT rate rather than a reduced rate applied to essential goods. Starting January 1, 2026, Kazakhstan’s base VAT rate increased to 16%. Reduced VAT rates of 5% (from 2026) and 10% (from 2027), apply only to goods and services, including specific medicines and medical devices that meet established criteria. These benefits do not apply broadly to all health-related goods, only to items included in officially approved lists. If sanitary pads, tampons, and other menstrual hygiene products are not included in the approved lists, they are subject to the standard VAT rate, like most other consumer goods. The law does not treat “women’s” products as a separate taxable category. As a result, Kazakhstan does not levy a distinct “pink tax” but applies uniform VAT rules. The broader policy debate centers on whether menstrual products should be classified as essential goods for tax purposes. The social dimension is significant. According to the World Bank and UNFPA, menstrual poverty refers to limited access to hygiene products and related services such as water, sanitation, healthcare, and education. A survey conducted in Kazakhstan by Umai Cup and SOAS (2,116 participants) found that 25% of respondents had no access to hygiene products during their first menstruation, 66% used improvised materials, and 10% missed school due to an inability to purchase sanitary pads. When a recurring monthly product is taxed at the full VAT rate and rises in price along with inflation, the financial burden falls disproportionately on low-income women. For students, single mothers, and mothers of large families, this may translate into restricted access to basic hygiene. Why the “Pink Tax” Has a Greater Impact at Lower Income Levels Even without normative judgments, the economic...

Criminal justice reform

Uzbekistan Proposes Tougher Penalties for Violence Against Women and Children

Uzbekistan is preparing a comprehensive package of legal reforms aimed at eliminating violence against women and children and establishing a societal culture of zero tolerance toward abuse. The measures are outlined in a draft State Program tied to the implementation of the "Uzbekistan-2030" strategy and the national reform agenda for the Year of Mahalla Development and Community Advancement. Under the proposed reforms, criminal penalties for acts of violence against women and minors would be significantly increased. One of the most consequential provisions includes harsher sentencing for sexual crimes against children under 14, including the possibility of life imprisonment. The draft program also recommends transferring the investigation of sexual and violent crimes involving minors to the exclusive jurisdiction of the prosecutor’s office. Additionally, a specialized system of investigators and judges would be introduced, with dedicated training to handle sensitive cases involving abuse. These specialists would be responsible for both the investigation and adjudication of such cases, ensuring a more consistent and victim-centered approach. Another key component of the reform targets early and forced marriages. The program proposes administrative penalties for those who engage or betroth individuals below the legal marriage age. Sanctions could also apply to parents, guardians, or others who facilitate or promote underage unions, including those who publicly advocate for such practices. Officials say these steps are intended to entrench a culture of intolerance toward violence and to develop a more effective system for preventing early and forced marriages. The draft emphasizes the role of community-level engagement, with family and women's support centers expected to reach at least 40% of young couples through specialized educational programs. These initiatives will involve psychologists, legal professionals, and other experts to bolster domestic violence prevention efforts. If adopted, the measures are scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2026. In a related development, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Health last year proposed tightening the application of chemical castration for individuals convicted of sexual offenses against children. According to draft amendments published on the Open NPA platform, Kazakhstan’s government-run portal for public discussion of draft legislation, the procedure would be administered six months prior to an inmate’s release, following a mandatory forensic psychiatric evaluation conducted up to a year in advance. Kazakhstan’s Health Ministry stated that this measure, regulated under Article 91 of the country’s Criminal Code, is designed to reduce the risk of recidivism during the immediate post-release period, which authorities view as particularly high-risk.

Domestic Violence

Survey Finds Decline in Kazakh Women Who Justify Domestic Violence

Recent data reveals a marked shift in attitudes toward domestic violence among women in Kazakhstan. While the number of women who justify abuse has declined, certain demographic groups continue to condone it under specific circumstances. These findings are based on a study conducted by analysts at Finprom.kz. Sharp Decline in Justifying Abuse Multi-indicator surveys conducted by the National Statistics Bureau in 2015 and 2024 show a significant decrease in the number of women who view domestic violence as acceptable. Approximately 14,400 women aged 15 to 49 participated in the survey. In 2015, 15.1% of respondents said a man has the right to hit his wife or partner. By 2024, this figure had dropped to just 4%. Respondents who deemed such violence acceptable were asked to specify the justification. The most commonly cited reason was neglect of children (2.8%), followed by refusal to do housework (1.6%), disobedience to the husband (1%), and leaving the house without permission (0.8%). Smaller shares justified violence due to refusal of intimacy (0.3%) or “burning food” (0.2%). Analysts interpret the declining acceptance of these views as a sign of changing social norms and an evolving understanding of women's roles within the family. Who Is More Likely to Justify Violence? The study revealed a notable divide between urban and rural populations. In rural areas, 6.8% of women still justify domestic violence, down from 20.6% a decade ago. In urban areas, only 2.6% expressed similar views. Regional disparities were also evident. In the Turkestan region, 10% of respondents believed a husband has the right to beat his wife. High levels of acceptance were also recorded in the Zhetysu region (9.5%) and Kostanay (8.8%). In contrast, the Mangistau region (0.2%), Aktobe (0.4%), and Atyrau (0.5%) reported the lowest figures. Age was another key factor. Older women were more likely to justify domestic violence: 4.7% of women aged 45-49 and 3.1% of those aged 40-44 approved of it under certain conditions. Younger women, particularly newlyweds, overwhelmingly rejected violence under any circumstances. Legal Reforms and Shifting Statistics Finprom.kz analysts compared these survey results with changes in criminal justice data. According to the Committee on Legal Statistics, reported criminal offenses related to domestic violence have increased 7.2 fold over the past decade. However, this spike is attributed to legal reforms. Until mid-2024, charges such as “Assault” and “Causing minor harm to health” were considered administrative violations. Following criminalization, reported cases rose sharply. From January to October 2025, 3,000 criminal offenses related to family or domestic violence were recorded, up 21.4% year-on-year. Assaults accounted for more than half of the cases (1,700, up 36.8% from June to October 2024), followed by “intentional infliction of minor bodily harm” (680 cases). Meanwhile, serious crimes showed a decline. Murders fell by 30.1%, rapes by 16.7%, and cases of “intentional infliction of serious harm to health” by 10.5%. Regional commissions on women’s affairs have also reported encouraging trends. The number of calls to crisis centers dropped from 30,500 in 2013 to 12,900 in 2024. Of these, 7,400...

Women's rights

Montenegro Will Not Extradite NeMolchi Founder to Kazakhstan

The authorities in Montenegro have decided that the director of Kazakhstan’s NeMolchi.kz (Don’t be silent) foundation, Dina Smailova (Tansari), will not be deported to Kazakhstan, where she faces charges of knowingly disseminating false information, violation of privacy, and fraud. Smailova’s Legal Battles and Exile Since 2017, Smailova has faced a plethora of criminal cases. In 2021, she left Kazakhstan and relocated to Georgia. After she departed, Almaty police launched new inquiries against her. In June 2022, Smailova said that these investigations were opened “because I criticize the activities of the Almaty police, because I demand the resignation of the leadership, because I do not recognize the police who torture our people in their dungeons!” In early 2024, Smailova left Georgia and requested asylum in the European Union, and in April of that year, she was detained in Montenegro based on an Interpol warrant from Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry. Kazakhstan and Montenegro do not have an extradition agreement, so Montenegrin officials needed time to consider the Kazakh authorities’ request to repatriate Smailova to Kazakhstan. Smailova was therefore quickly freed from custody but remained in Montenegro, and in July, she and her husband, Almat Mukhamedzhanov, were granted international protection status in the country, signaling that she was unlikely to be extradited. On September 4, Montenegro’s Supreme Court ruled to deny Kazakhstan’s request for her extradition, and on September 12, Smailova wrote on Facebook that the decision had come into force. NeMolchi.kz is an organization that defends the rights of women and children in Kazakhstan and reports on incidents of domestic violence, a problem that has become more visible in the country in recent years. Violence against women has become a priority issue for the Kazakh government, especially since the high-profile murder of a young woman named Saltanat Nukenova in 2023. The Nukenova Case and Public Outcry Saltanat Nukenova was killed in an Astana restaurant by her husband, Kuandyk Bishimbayev, a former Kazakh Minister of National Economy. Bishimbayev was convicted of taking bribes and, in March 2018, was sentenced to ten years in prison. His term was later reduced to four years, and he was eventually released early in December 2020. On November 9, 2023, Bishimbayev and Nukenova went to an Astana restaurant where they had a private room reserved. Bishimbayev and Nukenova quarreled, following which Bishimbayev severely beat his wife, then waited several hours while she lay dying from head injuries he inflicted on her before calling for medical help. Later that same month, it was reported that the police in East Kazakhstan Province had started investigating Smailova for fraud. Police questioned “hundreds” of people who had donated to NeMolchi.kz, on the suspicion that Smailova had used some of the donated money for personal purchases. Before the end of 2023, formal charges were lodged against Smailova, and Kazakhstan put out an international warrant for her arrest. Bishimbayev’s trial was televised and drew a huge audience in Kazakhstan. He was found guilty and sentenced to 24 years in prison. The details of the beating of...