View of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Women’s access to justice and the fight against violence – interview with the Deputy Prosecutor General of Kyrgyzstan Women
Ensuring women’s access to justice remains one of the key conditions for combating violence and protecting human rights. This was stated by Deputy Prosecutor General of Kyrgyzstan Umutkan Konkubaeva in an interview on the sidelines of the 70th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, held at UN headquarters in New York.
According to her, participation in the work of the commission is a good opportunity to exchange experiences with other countries and discuss global problems faced by women.
“When I first walked into the UN building and heard the discussion about violence against women, I thought: these problems do not only exist here in Central Asia – they exist all over the world,” she said.
Law and responsibility
One of the key issues of the current session of the commission is women’s access to justice – a topic that, according to Konkubaeva, is directly related to the effectiveness of legislation and the work of law enforcement agencies. In Kyrgyzstan, she noted, the prosecutor’s office plays an important role in enforcing laws and investigating crimes, including crimes related to gender-based violence.
“The prosecutor’s office oversees the accurate and uniform implementation of all laws. We monitor how crimes are investigated and how laws are applied,” she emphasized.
To improve the analysis of such crimes, an automated information system was introduced in the country to collect and analyze data on offenses. It can help identify trends and risk factors – for example, family social status, educational level or other circumstances associated with crime.
“The system allows us to conduct an in-depth analysis and obtain reliable statistics,” explained a representative of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
The fight against bride kidnapping
One of the problems that the authorities In Kyrgyzstan, they are trying to solve it with the help of legislation; the practice of bride kidnapping remains, which persists in some regions of the country. According to Konkubaeva, Kyrgyzstan has become one of the countries where criminal liability has been introduced for such actions.
“If information is received about a bride being kidnapped, we bring the perpetrators to justice,” she said. Even if families try to hide such cases, law enforcement agencies may find out about them later, for example, through medical institutions.
If a minor girl comes to the maternity hospital, medical workers are required to report this to law enforcement agencies. “From this moment on, a criminal case is initiated, regardless of whether they continue to live together as a family,” Konkubaeva explained. According to her, after the tightening of legislation, such cases are gradually decreasing, although the problem has not yet been completely resolved.
Domestic Violence Law
Kyrgyzstan also has a law on domestic violence, which, according to the Deputy Prosecutor General, helps to more clearly classify such crimes. Previously, many such cases were considered as domestic conflicts. Now the legislation separates criminal offenses and administrative offenses. Criminal liability arises in the event of bodily harm, and psychological violence may result in administrative punishment.
“Such offenses are punishable by administrative arrest for up to 15 days, and for criminal offenses – up to five years in prison,” explained Konkubaeva.
An important change was the exclusion of fines from punishment in cases of domestic violence. According to her, previously fines were actually paid from the family budget, which further worsened the situation of the victims.
“If you impose a fine, it often turns out that the family itself pays it, and therefore the woman,” she noted.
Prevention and work with youth
In addition to investigating crimes, the prosecutor’s office of Kyrgyzstan pays great attention to prevention. In particular, representatives of law enforcement agencies hold meetings in schools, universities and local communities, talking about women’s rights and protection mechanisms.
“We are trying to carry out educational work to prevent offenses before they happen,” Konkubaeva said.
Modern technologies are also used to protect children and adolescents. For example, the country’s educational system has a special application through which schoolchildren can report violence or other problems. Such messages are automatically sent to the relevant government authorities.
Public attitudes are changing
According to the Deputy Prosecutor General, in recent years the attitude of society towards the problem of domestic violence has noticeably changed. If previously many women preferred to remain silent, considering what was happening to be a family matter, today they are increasingly turning to help. Social media also plays a role.
“Women began to speak openly about violence – even in the regions they publish videos and talk about what happened,” she said.
This, she said, helps law enforcement agencies respond more quickly to such cases.
Start with family
At the same time, Konkubaeva believes that the fight against violence should begin not only with laws, but also with education. Being the mother of three sons, she is sure that respect for women is formed primarily in the family.
“We must teach our children to respect their mothers, wives and daughters. If every family raises boys to be respectful, there will be less violence,” she said.
According to her, discussions at the session of the Commission on the Status of Women confirm that despite cultural differences, countries face similar challenges. That is why international dialogue and exchange of experience remain important tools in promoting women’s rights and ensuring their access to justice.