United Nations supported opening of a street art to end gender-based violence

Street art (graffiti portrait) on the wall of the dormitory of the Bishkek Medical College (BMK) was initiated by the Women Support Center and UN Women. The street art will remind society of the terrible consequences of bride kidnapping in the Kyrgyz Republic, highlight the importance of promoting the rights of women and girls, and the need to address issues of preventing gender-based violence. Participants of the advocacy event expressed their solidarity with activists around the world who have joined the global campaign against gender-based violence.

Opening of a street art was a launching event of the national campaign to end gender-based violence that commences on 25 November - the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women - and ends on 10 December, Human Rights Day. In recent years, the UNiTE campaign has utilized the colour orange to represent a brighter future, free from violence against women and girls, as a unifying theme running through all of its global activities.

The UNiTE Campaign’s global advocacy theme is: Orange the World: #HearMeToo. This is because in recent years the voices of survivors and activists, through campaigns have reached a crescendo that cannot be silenced any more.  Campaign calls on the global audience to support survivor advocates, women’s movements and women’s human rights defenders in ending systemic violence against women and girls.

In Kyrgyzstan, on these dates, more than 60 events were organized throughout the country. The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, the UN system in the Kyrgyz Republic, representatives of NGOs, the national movement UNiTE will focus their efforts on increasing attention to the problem of violence.

For reference: 16 days campaign against gender-based violence in Kyrgyzstan is conducted annually by the partner community, in coordination with the Ministry of Labor and Social Development of the Kyrgyz Republic and the UN system. This year, the Swiss Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic, the British Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic, the Delegation of the European Union in the Kyrgyz Republic, GIZ, ADB, OSCE, USAID, Good Neighbors, Open Line, NGO “Women Support Center”, NGO “Gender Information Center”, Crisis Center “Aruulan”, PF “New Rhythm”, PF “Omur Bulagy”, PF “Center for the Study of Democratic Processes”, PF “Podruga, PF “DIA”, Crisis Center “Sezim", “Association of Crisis Centers”, Crisis Center “Shans”, PF" Women Support Center-Ariet ", PF" League of Defenders of the Rights of the Child ", PO" New Name ", PO “Alga”, PF “Asteria”, OO “Kyrgyz Indigo”, Bishkek feminist initiatives, OO “Labris”, PF “Foundation for social programs”, PF “Equal rights and opportunities”, OO “Ayalzat”, ISEDA and others joined their efforts to end this pandemic.

Some facts about violence:

More than 20% of marriages in the Kyrgyz Republic are committed by abducting a woman for the purpose of marriage (with or without her consent), the proportion of forced marriages is 6%. Moreover, the rate of bride kidnapping in the rural areas was found to be two times higher than in the urban areas.

23% of all women aged between 15–49 have experienced physical abuse at least once since the age of 15.

One out of four ever married women were victims of physical abuse by their current or former husband; 4% experienced sexual abuse; 4% - emotional abuse.

Only two out of five women sought help after experiencing physical or sexual abuse.

Women whose fathers beat their mothers are about twice as likely to experience some form of spousal abuse (52%) than women whose fathers did not beat their mothers (23%).

More than half (57%) of women who had been physically or sexually abused by their husband had physical injuries: including breaking their bones and knocking out teeth, cuts and hematomas were on the body.

34% of women and 50% of men believe that it is acceptable to hit a wife for the following reasons:

• does not take care of children (24%)

• leaves home without husband’s permission (18%)

• if a woman objects to her husband (16%)

• refuses sexual intercourse (7%)

• if she burns a food (6%)

Domestic violence is criminalized, and the severity of physical and health consequences for victims increases. In 2015 compared to 2010, the number of crimes committed on the basis of domestic violence against life, health and sexual integrity increased by 1.6 times.

Estimation of the economic consequences of murder in case of domestic violence revealed that the direct costs for one case were 1 636 738 KGS. Total expenses for one case - 2 857 538 KGS. Total for 2010-2016 98 kills were recorded.