CABAR.asia
WHEN WILL GENDER INEQUALITY IN UZBEKISTAN END?
Gender inequality remains one of the acute problems in Uzbekistan, despite the measures to improve the status of women.
Recently, the measures are taken at all levels in the country to create equal rights for men and women. The concepts "gender equality", "domestic violence", and "protection order" became more common. These concepts have one thing in common: they are applied mainly to women and girls.
The problem of gender inequality is drawing serious attention in Uzbekistan since 2018. The media and social media highlight the problems of the lack of a system of targeted support for women in need and those in difficult social situations; low efficiency of employment promotion on the part of the authorities, as well as a low level of effectiveness of measures to prevent early marriage, family conflicts and divorces.
Centers of social assistance, rehabilitation centers, and cases of individual work with unemployed and socially inactive women appeared, attention is drawn to the development of entrepreneurship among women.
However, the women's status is still a concerning issue for gender activists.
The problem of gender inequality is drawing serious attention in Uzbekistan since 2018. The media and social media highlight the problems of the lack of a system of targeted support for women in need and those in difficult social situations; low efficiency of employment promotion on the part of the authorities, as well as a low level of effectiveness of measures to prevent early marriage, family conflicts and divorces.
Centers of social assistance, rehabilitation centers, and cases of individual work with unemployed and socially inactive women appeared, attention is drawn to the development of entrepreneurship among women.
However, the women's status is still a concerning issue for gender activists.
The Story of Manzura, Who Was Left on the Street with Children
"The family is sacred", "preservation of the family is the duty of a woman", "not speaking of a family, even destroying a bird's nest is a sin" – this is how Uzbek girls are taught for centuries.
Receiving education and a good specialty is a secondary matter, because, traditionally, the main thing for women in Uzbekistan is to become a good housekeeper, wife and mother.
Of course, it is possible to overcome any difficulties in life when there are supporting people nearby. However, when there is no such support, a woman and her children may end up on the street.
The fate of Manzura (not her real name) is the result of such disagreements.
Of course, it is possible to overcome any difficulties in life when there are supporting people nearby. However, when there is no such support, a woman and her children may end up on the street.
The fate of Manzura (not her real name) is the result of such disagreements.
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I got married in 2003. In less than 40 days, I was kicked out of the house because I did not get along with my mother-in-law. To see my husband, I constantly did various jobs, came and did all the household chores. Today, I have three children. They have no education, because I was unable to provide them with such an opportunity.
Since I did not have a permanent place of residence, I lived with different people. In 2019, my husband got into a car accident and lost his legs. Now, he cannot work. He was engaged in cattle grazing, and then, I began to do this with my children. It did not work out. I had to give it up.
Since I did not have a permanent place of residence, I lived with different people. In 2019, my husband got into a car accident and lost his legs. Now, he cannot work. He was engaged in cattle grazing, and then, I began to do this with my children. It did not work out. I had to give it up.
Now, the Social Assistance Center supports Manzura. She said that the head of this center found a place for her and her children, helped her to undergo a medical examination, and provided her with medicines. Manzura's daughter and son received a specialty, and lawyers help to restore all documents. Her life is gradually improving.
Mavlyuda's Hard Luck
Mavlyuda (not her real name) lives in Bo'ka district of Tashkent region. She is married and has two children. Her parents married her off early, and did not give her the opportunity to get a higher education and fulfil her dream of becoming a teacher.
Such a practice, when parents decide for their daughters whether to study after receiving a secondary education, is still common in Uzbekistan. Often, the families decide that it is better for girls to stay at home and do household chores, raising children, than to study and "stick their noses in all sorts of nonsense".
Mavlyuda married without receiving education and profession, and, like millions of other women in the country, immersed herself into household chores. The money that made her husband, Samad, was barely enough for a living. In addition, he was addicted to drinking and often spent the money he earned on alcohol. He worked in Tashkent and visited his family on weekends only. However, even those days when the family was getting together, were sad. Every time, he came drunk, started quarrels over nonsense, insulted parents, children, and beat his wife.
The parents got tired of their son's behaviour, gave them four hundred square meters of land on their plot and sent the young couple off saying, "Live as you want, but leave us old people alone".
Then, the whole burden of housekeeping fell on Mavlyuda. There was no help from the husband; on the contrary, there were only fights and stress. However, worst of all, their two children grew up in an atmosphere of a constant stress.
Mavlyuda worried about her children's future. The eldest son Sukhrob, 12, was not home almost all the time due to constant scandals in the family; he lived with his uncle in the neighbouring mahalla. The youngest son Sarvar, 6, did not know where to hide when his father came home.
Mavlyuda married without receiving education and profession, and, like millions of other women in the country, immersed herself into household chores. The money that made her husband, Samad, was barely enough for a living. In addition, he was addicted to drinking and often spent the money he earned on alcohol. He worked in Tashkent and visited his family on weekends only. However, even those days when the family was getting together, were sad. Every time, he came drunk, started quarrels over nonsense, insulted parents, children, and beat his wife.
The parents got tired of their son's behaviour, gave them four hundred square meters of land on their plot and sent the young couple off saying, "Live as you want, but leave us old people alone".
Then, the whole burden of housekeeping fell on Mavlyuda. There was no help from the husband; on the contrary, there were only fights and stress. However, worst of all, their two children grew up in an atmosphere of a constant stress.
Mavlyuda worried about her children's future. The eldest son Sukhrob, 12, was not home almost all the time due to constant scandals in the family; he lived with his uncle in the neighbouring mahalla. The youngest son Sarvar, 6, did not know where to hide when his father came home.
Mavlyuda became a worker for hire – mardikor. She took hard seasonal work not only to feed the children, but also to build a two-room house on the plot allocated by her husband's parents.
She endured scandals and beatings from her husband so that she would not be called an unmarried woman, and the children would have a father. She would continue living this life if once, a mahalla council employee had not accidentally entered their house. He witnessed a scandal by drunk Samad, wanted to stop him, but Samad insulted the guest, went inside and fell asleep.
The stressful environment in the Mavlyuda's family became known to the employees of the Center for the Rehabilitation and Adaptation of Bo'ka district of Tashkent region. Center's specialists: its head Lailo Toshpulatova, psychologist Zilola Khudoyorova and inspector for women and girls affairs of the district police department Guzal Kalimullina, conducted explanatory work and psychological sessions with the family.
Mavlyuda received protection order. Samad was warned about the responsibility and punishment provided by the law for domestic violence. Now, he is undergoing treatment for alcoholism.
This experience made Mavlyuda a strong woman. However, her fate is rather an exception to the rule. Nobody can tell how many such "strong women" there are in Uzbekistan: there are no exact statistics on domestic violence.
The stressful environment in the Mavlyuda's family became known to the employees of the Center for the Rehabilitation and Adaptation of Bo'ka district of Tashkent region. Center's specialists: its head Lailo Toshpulatova, psychologist Zilola Khudoyorova and inspector for women and girls affairs of the district police department Guzal Kalimullina, conducted explanatory work and psychological sessions with the family.
Mavlyuda received protection order. Samad was warned about the responsibility and punishment provided by the law for domestic violence. Now, he is undergoing treatment for alcoholism.
This experience made Mavlyuda a strong woman. However, her fate is rather an exception to the rule. Nobody can tell how many such "strong women" there are in Uzbekistan: there are no exact statistics on domestic violence.
Statistics of Addresses of Domestic Violence Victims to Various State Bodies
During 8 months, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan considered 4,847 complaints about various crimes and offenses against women. Information on these violations is presented in the chart below.
Currently, there are 197 rehabilitation centers in the country.
According to their statistics, as of December 2019, these centers received more than 21 thousand addresses from citizens. Of these, 986 men were from men, 788 from children and 19,874 from women. As of September 7-14, 2020, the centers provided assistance in solving the problems for 337 women.
During 8 months of 2020, the largest number of protection orders were issued in Tashkent, followed by Fergana, Qashqadaryo and Tashkent regions. The least number of protection orders were issued in the Republic of Karakalpakstan.
However, Irina Matvienko, the founder of the "NeMolchi.uz" ["Do not be silent" – Tr.] movement, believes that the issuance of protection orders does not solve the domestic violence problem.
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In general, a protection order is just a piece of paper that prohibits yelling at your wife, physically abusing, hitting, harassing her, etc. It is issued for a period of 30 days and can be extended for another 30 days. That is, this period of protection is guaranteed by the state. However, if you understand the abusive relationship, some tyrants, psychopaths, perverse narcissists pursue their victims for years.
Matvienko underlines that the country's legislation does not provide for punishment for a number of violence types. For example, there is no punishment in either the Administrative or the Criminal Code for stalking, economic or psychological violence. Most often, the victim has to live next to the oppressor for years, and he can put pressure on her so that she does not address the police.
In general, she assesses the taken measures positively and says that the situation is slowly but surely changing for the better. At least, the problem is discussed. There are many videos about it, the media are covering it openly. However, there are still many unresolved issues that need to be addressed, according to Matvienko.
What Is Government Doing to Ensure Gender Equality?
During the past two years, the Uzbek government took a number of measures to improve the situation.
Until 2018, the term "gender equality" was rarely used in the country. The Criminal Code and Administrative Responsibility Code of the republic did not include the "domestic violence" term.
The Law "On protection of women from oppression and violence" was adopted in Uzbekistan in September 2019. It instructed all involved government structures to strengthen the work to protect the rights of persons subjected to violence.
The Law "On protection of women from oppression and violence" was adopted in Uzbekistan in September 2019. It instructed all involved government structures to strengthen the work to protect the rights of persons subjected to violence.
According to the Presidential Decree of March 7, 2019 "On measures to further strengthen guarantees of labour rights and support for women's entrepreneurship", the Republican Commission on Gender Equality was established in Uzbekistan.
In addition, the Republican Centers for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Suicide Prevention operate in all regions of the country, as well as the Tashkent City Center for Rehabilitation and Adaptation. They provide targeted timely assistance and protection to victims of violence. They also provide emergency psychological, psychotherapeutic and legal assistance to women subjected to violence, and, if necessary, additional assistance.
Raising the legal literacy of women and protecting their rights is one of the priorities in the field of ensuring gender equality in our country. All governmental and non-governmental organisations that provide women with free legal assistance and counselling services are addressing these issues.
In addition, the Republican Centers for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Suicide Prevention operate in all regions of the country, as well as the Tashkent City Center for Rehabilitation and Adaptation. They provide targeted timely assistance and protection to victims of violence. They also provide emergency psychological, psychotherapeutic and legal assistance to women subjected to violence, and, if necessary, additional assistance.
Raising the legal literacy of women and protecting their rights is one of the priorities in the field of ensuring gender equality in our country. All governmental and non-governmental organisations that provide women with free legal assistance and counselling services are addressing these issues.
The following organisations are working actively and effectively in this direction:
1. "Yuksalish" (city of Qarshi)
2. "Sustainable Life" (Termez).
3. "Istiqbolli Avlod" (Tashkent and Nukus)
4. "Aydın Nur" (Bukhara)
5. "Rahmdillik" (Samarkand)
6. "Mehrjon" (Fergana)
7. "High potential" (Tashkent).
8. "Civil Initiatives Support Center" (Tashkent, Xorazm, Andijan).
1. "Yuksalish" (city of Qarshi)
2. "Sustainable Life" (Termez).
3. "Istiqbolli Avlod" (Tashkent and Nukus)
4. "Aydın Nur" (Bukhara)
5. "Rahmdillik" (Samarkand)
6. "Mehrjon" (Fergana)
7. "High potential" (Tashkent).
8. "Civil Initiatives Support Center" (Tashkent, Xorazm, Andijan).
Daily, these organisations provide legal assistance to women who address them on various issues. They conduct personal conversations, various advocacy campaigns, visits to mahallas, etc.
In April 2020, the telegram channel "No to Violence" by the Republican Center for Rehabilitation and Adaptation started working in Uzbek and Russian under the auspices of the Commission on Gender Equality of Uzbekistan with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). There, you can find answers to your questions related to achieving equal rights for women and men.
There is another channel in Telegram for the Russian-speaking population, "Zhim Turma" ("Do not be silent"), where women who find themselves in difficult life situations and victims of domestic violence search for help.
In May 2020, USAID Legal Reform Program launched the Telegram channel "Legal framework for gender equality". They publish short video tutorials on gender equality and the legal regulation of gender relations.
According to the UN, Uzbekistan ranked 57 out of 188 countries in the ranking of countries by gender equality in 2019.
In April 2020, the telegram channel "No to Violence" by the Republican Center for Rehabilitation and Adaptation started working in Uzbek and Russian under the auspices of the Commission on Gender Equality of Uzbekistan with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). There, you can find answers to your questions related to achieving equal rights for women and men.
There is another channel in Telegram for the Russian-speaking population, "Zhim Turma" ("Do not be silent"), where women who find themselves in difficult life situations and victims of domestic violence search for help.
In May 2020, USAID Legal Reform Program launched the Telegram channel "Legal framework for gender equality". They publish short video tutorials on gender equality and the legal regulation of gender relations.
According to the UN, Uzbekistan ranked 57 out of 188 countries in the ranking of countries by gender equality in 2019.