Contributed by: Tolkun Tiulekova, Kyrgyzstan National VAW Monitor

The sixth strategic goal contains the following complex measures to prevent and eradicate gender violence in society:

• The continuation of fulfillment of the recommendations of the UN Committee on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW);
• Systematic trainings of law enforcement and judges to raise gender awareness on the issue of violence against women;
• The development and publication of a manual to train on methods of treatment of victims of physical, psychological and sexual violence for workers of the law enforcement system;
• The creation of a network of free consultative assistance (legal and information services) for women at risk of violence and victims of violence.  Supporting crisis centers and expending their network in regions, the formation of a network of crisis centers;
• The development of a manual for schools on the prevention of violence against women, non-conflict and tolerant behavior;
• The creation of self-help groups in rural regions to fight violence against women and raise gender awareness of society toward violence;
• The development and inculcation of a program to work with perpetrators (rehabilitation of offenders) and an overall approach of intersectional responding to violence against women;
• The collection of gender statistics on all forms of violence against women and children;
• Monitoring and analysis of the effectiveness of measures used in combating violence against women;
• The development and inculcation of measures on social adaptation of women convicts and those who was dismissed.

At present the government has designed some arrangements to implement NPA; in particular, the Department on Operative Responding to Rights Violations at the General Staff of the Ministry of the Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic (MI of KR) is collecting information based on gender disaggregated data.

The Diamond Association, in collaboration with the Faculty of Law of the Kyrgyz Russian Slavonic University and MI of KR, has prepared a manual “Violence against Women: Its Prevention and Fighting Its Consequences.” The manual includes the activities of law enforcement in preventing violence toward women, international standards relating to this field, as well as the activities of the crisis centers and new special services offered to assist victims of violence. Over the period 2000-2003, the Diamond Association has acquainted workers of the law enforcement system and the General Prosecutions Department with international and national experiences on organizing a coordinated response of all structures in society to respond to violence against women based on this manual, as well as conducting training in methods of work with victims of violence. Two-day trainings were organized at the Center for Skills Re-training of Workers of the General Prosecutions Department of KR and district interior departments in the Chui, Talas, Issyk-Kul, Naryn, Batken and Osh oblasts. More than 1000 people were trained. Relevant information material was distributed at these trainings.

The NGOs sector continues active research, trainings and education of representatives of state structures and civil society on the problem of violence against women.

The trainings and seminars demonstrate that it is necessary to expand a network of psychological assistance to victims of violence by increasing the number of hotlines and crisis shelters, and to improve the training of qualified psychologists on the problem. Establishment of close links between the crisis centers and the interior departments and the exchange of relevant information and openness in their work contribute to progress. To increase the effectiveness of law enforcement, it is necessary to improve the conditions of their activities, their technical base and training of staff in such specific areas as prevention of violence against women. It is desirable to find special premises for confidential work with victims of violence in the buildings of the militia. The training has also revealed that joint work of NGOs and law enforcement bodies is very helpful and didactic. Workers of the militia and the General Prosecutions Department were especially interested in the themes “Psychological Aspects of Women Victims of Violence” and the ethics of human treatment of victims.

On the whole, the participants of the trainings and seminars stated the necessity of continued training of law enforcement bodies to improve their skills, in particular by means of the Diamond manual. Conducting such trainings and seminars at all levels will facilitate closer contacts with NGOs to solve overall tasks, which is why their conduct is considered a priority and sanctioned by the College of MI of KR.