by Kulpash Konyrova
Astana, Apr 15 (EFE).- Kazakhstan on Monday approved a law that protects women from domestic violence following high-profile cases of male abuse, joining other Central Asian countries in toughening penalties with prison terms for offenders.
The President of the Central Asian republic, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, enacted the law amid the high-profile trial of a former minister who brutally killed his wife, a case watched by millions worldwide.
The battle against domestic violence in Kazakhstan, a predominantly Muslim country with a strong patriarchal tradition, has a long history, but its effects have been barely noticeable until now.
The “Saltanat Law”
The issue came back into the public eye following the murder of Kazakh woman Saltanat Nukenova by her partner, former Kazakh minister Kuandik Bishimbayev, in November 2023.
Following the crime, Kazakhs gathered over 150,000 signatures, demanding a tougher domestic violence law.
Legislators also received more than 5,000 letters calling for better protection for women.
Independent statistics indicate that more than 400 Kazakh women die annually at the hands of their partners, with only 40% of these cases reaching the courts.
After the death of 31-year-old Saltanat, who was brutally beaten by her husband and died before medical help could arrive, two other femicides occurred in the capital, Astana, sparking public outrage.
Additionally, stories emerged about three instances of police officers raping women.
“Unfortunately, cases of violence have always existed. But they are resonating now, thanks to the advancement of information technology,” Kazakh lawmaker Sergey Ponomariov told EFE.
Between the old and the new
Over half of Kazakh men surveyed in a UN-sponsored study believe they have the right to insult, humiliate, and intimidate women.
In one of the largest cities in southern Kazakhstan, Shymkent, with nearly one million residents, one in two men finds it acceptable to use physical violence against women.
Workplace harassment suffered by the majority of Kazakh women is another pressing issue reported in the study.
“Today in Kazakhstan, there is a clash between the old and the new, a new vision of what the modern Kazakh woman should be,” activist Aiguerim Kusainkizi explains.
In her view, the more traditional part of society believes that granting more rights to women “contradicts traditional Kazakh values.”
From simple arrest to jail
The new law, which seeks to combat tolerance towards violence against women, will penalize assaults regardless of whether the harm to the victim is minor, moderate, or severe, where previously the maximum penalty was 15 days of arrest.
The law stipulates three to eight years in prison for severe abuses; up to two years for moderate abuses; and up to 50 days of arrest or a monetary fine for minor offenses.
Amendments to the legislation, endorsed by Tokayev, also introduce criminal responsibility for sexual harassment of minors under 16 and toughen the punishment for “bride kidnapping,” a Central Asian tradition that allows the groom to abduct his future wife before the wedding night.
Furthermore, the new rule introduces life imprisonment for crimes of pedophilia.
Activists believe the new law will allow Kazakh society to reopen the debate on women’s roles and adopt new traditions more in tune with contemporary times. EFE