Extreme domestic violence against women in Uzbekistan and how the problem can be addressed

 

25.11.2024

 

Translation of an abridged Russian article published on the rus.ozodlik.org website

 

Around 20,000 cases of domestic violence against women were recorded during the first six months of last year and referenced by the country’s President, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in July 2023. These are the latest official figures for a country not normally renowned for releasing such information.

 

Although the problem has been much discussed at a number of major fora, very little has changed, say community activists. Domestic violence is seen as part of gender-based abuse in a patriarchal country where women are not seen as equal members of society.

 

On the eve of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which is celebrated on 25 November, Ozodlik spoke to experts and activists who are campaigning for women’s rights in Uzbekistan.

 

1 October 2022: A 64-year-old man from Fergana oblast beheaded his sister-in-law – the reason, he claimed, was that she made a “rude” remark to him;

 

2 January 2023: A man from Surkhandarya region killed his 35-year-old live-in partner after he demanded she confess to having committed adultery;

 

12 June 2024: A 50-year-old man from Namangan oblast strangled his 22-year old daughter after she refused to wed a man her parents had insisted she marry.

 

The cases of these murdered women are just a few of those that have come to the attention of the media and public in Uzbekistan over the past three years. Thousands of instances of abuse have been documented in Ministry of Internal Affairs’ reports as “domestic disputes”, without looking into the gender identity of both victims and survivors.

 

Some information can be gleaned from Special Protection Orders (SPOs) and court verdicts. Around 22,000 SPOs were issued in the first seven months of last year, all of which were for women suffering abusive behaviour in their families.

 

The case in Fergana province in 2022 was highlighted in a UN women research project. Experts analysed instances of gender-based violence in Central Asia within traditional relationships. In the report Bound by Tradition: The Silent Suffering of Daughters-in-Law in Uzbekistan, the authors write about a particular form of gender-based abuse: violence against and control of daughters-in-law.

 

The authors wrote “This reflects a cultural tradition where the daughter-in-law – a kelin (a bride) – leaves the family home to move in with her husband and very often his parents. Much of their young lives is devoted to becoming future kelins and are seen as easily replaceable in fulfilling this role”.

 

Domestic violence is part of the problem. Things will stay the same as long as nothing is done to address the fundamental causes of gender-based abuse, said Irina Matvienko, a women’s rights activist and founder of the NeMolchi.uz (Don’t Be Silent) anti-violence project. Without dealing with the root causes of violence against women, it is pointless discussing individual cases of abuse, she added.

 

Irina left Uzbekistan more than a year ago after receiving death threats, having reported that Khorezm officials had been accused of sexually abusing young girls in orphanages. These threats were made shortly after news of the crimes appeared on the NeMolchi.uz website.

 

Irina favours a comprehensive solution to the problem. She speaks of psychological and economic abuse, harassment at work, abusive behaviour by those in positions of power, including between teachers and female students. Sexual violence and femicide come top of the list.

 

Tashkent is currently hosting the NeUyat exhibition on gender-based violence which is showcasing works by young female artists. One of them is Shakhnoza Toshkentboyeva. She said that some traditional families still believe that girls should be strictly controlled and that their main task is to perform household chores and marry well.

 

“The old Uzbek saying “In the home you’ve married into, you’re set in stone” reflects this view. Traditional folk wisdom layered with good intentions does not understand that the world has long since changed. But one thing that still remains the same is the pressure which is put on girls and young women to keep their suffering behind closed doors. Where will it all end?”, the artist wondered.

 

At a Ministry of Internal Affairs meeting held in July last year, President Mirziyoyev quoted statistics which showed that around 40% of crimes against women were committed by unemployed people. The session took place at a time when the whole country was talking about the discovery of the body of an 11-year-old girl who had been sexually assaulted.

 

At the meeting, the President said that there has been talk in some mahallas that women activists are not producing the desired results. But the activists say they have been unable to establish a proper working relationship with the authorities.

 

“We once sent a request to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, asking for figures on domestic violence, without requesting any State-classified information, said Irina. “The official reply we received was “We think it would be inappropriate to provide you with such data”.

 

Activists say that the issue of violence against women requires an urgent and comprehensive approach that extends way beyond temporary campaigns and activities. In order to break the cycle of abuse, say the creators of the NeUyat exhibition, we need to keep talking about the rights of girls and young and older women as often as possible to ultimately build a foundation of social relationships in which respect and equality prevail.

“There’s silence all year, then suddenly there’s a lot of feverish activity when the issue of domestic violence reemerges, with all sorts of organised events and activities, then all goes quiet again – what hypocrisy!”, said Irina.

 

Source: https://rus.ozodlik.org/a/ubiystva-zhenshin-v-uzbekistane-i-popitki-izmenit-situatsiyu/33214677.html