“Zhanubi Kazakhstan”, 31/12/2008
M. Saydullaeva

   The Legal Center for Women's Initiatives “Sana Sezim”, with the financial support of the European Commission in Kazakhstan launched a new project “Providing access to justice for women!”
   In partnership with “The Civil Alliance of Kazakhstan”, the President of NGO “Sana Sezim”, H. Abysheva held a press conference for journalists, which discussed in detail the aims and activities of the project.
   To date, the idea of equality between men and women at the state level is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan. But there is a significant gap between theory and application of basic norms and standards for access to justice. In the South Kazakhstan region, women have limited access to judicial protection of their rights, access to information about their rights, and to information about existing legislation on gender equality.
   The aim of the project is to raise awareness of women regarding their rights. The project duration will be two years. It is to be implemented by distributing leaflets among the women, holding educational seminars, providing free and confidential legal, psychological, and social assistance, and operating a 24-hour a day telephone hotline.
   Last year at the Center the hotline was called by 2023 people. They reported that often are subjected to domestic violence in families. Of these, legal assistance was provided to 809 callers, and psychological assistance was provided to 712 callers. Unfortunately, many men think that a marriage certificate is a certificate of ownership over his wife, but it is not. In fact, we forget that human rights belong to each individual by birth. Next year it is expected the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Domestic Violence” will be adopted.
   The Center can provide psychological assistance, but it cannot yet provide temporary housing for victims of domestic violence. There are shelters for victims of domestic violence in four regions of Kazakhstan, but there is yet to be one in the South Kazakhstan Region.
   The meeting also touched upon the problem of men who have been subjected to psychological abuse in the family. Last year, the Center contacted men who had received the advice of specialists. The personnel are assisting not only the victims but also their families and work with their social environment. Those injured had to return to the environment where they are faced with the old problems after rehabilitation. At this time, women applicants have been abused not only by their spouses, but also by their other relatives. Currently, in families where this occurs there is also psychological violence to children. The purpose of this project is to prevent the above problems.