On April 5, 2024, a presentation was made of a comprehensive analysis of legal acts, departmental acts, cases and current practice on the subject and sufficiency of inclusive approaches in the field of protection and protection from war of women and girls with disabilities.
The comprehensive analysis was conducted by the Kyrgyz Association of Women Judges as part of a subgrant under the project “InKoom – Promoting the Development of a Fair and Inclusive Society in Kyrgyzstan.”
The roundtable event was attended by deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic, judges, representatives from government and law enforcement agencies, civil society, development partners, experts, and media representatives.
During the roundtable, Nurul Bakirova, the Deputy Chairperson of the Supreme Court of the Kyrgyz Republic, emphasized that anyone who commits violence must face appropriate punishment. She noted that in order to prevent cases of violence, it is important to work on the psychological state and social well-being of both women and men, and to invite them to such events. Additionally, she stressed the importance of conducting roundtables and events focused on gender-based violence in the regions of Kyrgyzstan.
Member of the Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament) of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sharapatkan Mazitova, noted that discussions in Parliament give special attention to the rights and situation of people with disabilities in Kyrgyzstan. Despite the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the implementation of obligations is not at the required level, and efforts to improve the situation of people with disabilities must be enhanced.
Member of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic, Gulya Kozhokulova, stated that the issue is very urgent and that protecting people with disabilities is a direct responsibility of the state. “We cannot cope with the current wave of violence. By coordinating all our efforts and initiatives, we can make the appropriate proposals under the law to protect women, including those with disabilities.”
Head of the Cooperation Department of the European Union Delegation to the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Hans Farnhammer, in his speech emphasized that for the European Union, it is crucial that the assistance provided to the country leads to positive and sustainable changes. In this context, the focus of the “InKoom” project on strengthening the capacity of civil society, women’s, and youth organizations in the fight against discrimination in all its forms, and particularly violence against women, including women with disabilities, is justified and promising.
Chairwoman of the Kyrgyz Bar Association, Meil Begilierova, stated that great attention must be given to the protection of women’s rights, including those of women with disabilities. The Bar Association is negotiating to create a registry of lawyers trained to handle cases of women who have experienced violence, including women with disabilities. A series of events will be held to train lawyers, judges, and other law enforcement officers on this issue. Additionally, she highlighted the need to introduce a legal studies lesson in senior classes of secondary schools as a preventive measure against violence.
Chairwoman of the Kyrgyz Bar Association, Meil Begilierova, and Director of the NGO “Social Technologies Agency,” Zulfia Kochorbaeva.
Additionally, experts Chynara Musabekova, Nadezhda Prigoda, and Chynara Biyalieva presented a comprehensive analysis of regulations, departmental acts, cases, and existing practices to assess the presence and adequacy of inclusive approaches in the protection and defense against violence against women and girls with disabilities.
The roundtable discussed the results of the comprehensive analysis of regulations and case studies, as well as the possibilities for implementing or updating operational standards in the protection and defense against violence against women and girls with disabilities. Recommendations were also given to support the improvement of coordinated interdepartmental cooperation to prevent and respond to gender discrimination, including for women with disabilities, enhance the capacity of the responsible government bodies, local self-government bodies, and through the adoption and/or updating of operational standards, organization and capacity building of law enforcement representatives, and the promotion and protection of the rights of women with disabilities through real-life case examples.
The roundtable was organized by the NGO “Social Technologies Agency” and the NGO “Kyrgyz Association of Women Judges” within the framework of the “InKoom – Promoting the Development of a Just and Inclusive Society in Kyrgyzstan” project, implemented with financial support from the European Union for the period 2022-2025.
Event materials in Russian and Kyrgyz are available here.
A video report about the event is available via the link below: