According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, during the quarantine period the level of domestic violence increased by 41.7%. Although quarantine measures have been relaxed throughout the country, women and children are still struggling with the consequences of the deteriorating physical and psychological condition.

Director of the PA LCWI “Sana Sezim” Shakhnoza Khassanova received the 2021 US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Hero award! International community acknowledged invaluable contribution of the PA LCWI "Sana Sezim" in the work on combating trafficking in persons in the Republic of Kazakhstan, assistance to migrants and victims of trafficking, as well as efforts in improving legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan on trafficking in persons.

The PA LCWI "Sana Sezim" team is very happy to receive this international award, it inspires us even more for new events and projects! We are together, it means we will succeed! Let's wish each other professional growth, optimism and faith in ourselves.

On July 1^st, 2021 in the framework of the “Safe Migration in Central Asia” project, funded by the USAID and implemented by the Winrock International, a regional meeting of participating NGOs from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan was held. The experiences and activities of the NGOs working on safe migration and human trafficking were presented for further cooperation. The participating NGOs discussed the needs of the organisations in assisting migrants and trafficked persons and the mechanism of referral. At the end of the event, the country participants agreed to hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss in more detail the legal and regulatory framework in the field of services for victims.

On June 30, 2021 as member of the ECPAT International, a global network of civil society organizations that works to end the sexual exploitation of children, the PA LCWI “Sana Sezim” participated in the regional meeting on the completion of a yearlong project “Stronger to Protect Children Rights”. Partners from 23 member organizations have shared their experiences in drafting and implementing policies on children rights and protection. Moreover, the members shared and discussed ideas on the basis of case study.

In order to prevent offenses committed in the sphere of family and domestic relations, the guards of order in the period from 21 to 30 June on the territory of the megalopolis are holding a republican action "No violence in the family!"

The action is of a preventive nature and aims to familiarize the population with the measures taken to prevent domestic violence in the family, protect mothers and children, and strengthen the role of the family in society.

The policemen of Al-Farabi region are constantly working on consulting and clarifying issues in the field of family and domestic relations by calling the hotline 8 (7252) 33-88-46.

On June 25, 2021, staff of the PA LCWI "Sana Sezim" took part in a meeting in Turkestan city to discuss the effectiveness of mobile groups in the regions to carry out information and prevention work in the field of combating human trafficking. The event was attended by representatives of the Commission on Human Rights, international organizations, NGOs and government agencies of Shymkent city and Turkestan province.

June 24, 2021within the framework of the national action to combat domestic violence, the Akimat of Abay district of Shymkent held a round table with representatives of the health and education sectors, law enforcement agencies, NGOs and others interested in the problem of domestic violence. A lawyer of the PA LCWI "Sana Sezim" shared information with other participants about the services provided and successful stories of beneficiaries who received assistance.

On June 23^rd, 2021the USAID-funded “Safe Migration in Central Asia” project, implemented by the Winrock International, provided step-by-step training to private sector representatives in the service delivery sector. Representatives of pharmacy chains and shops that may come across victims of human trafficking were informed and educated on the issue of human trafficking. In addition to pharmaceutical companies and food shops, employers in the construction and agriculture sectors were made aware of the basic principles and criteria for an ethical working environment and expressed their willingness to work towards this goal.

It is sad, but every minute around the world, 20 people flee their homes and leave everything behind, fleeing war, persecution, terror or natural disasters. To date, according to the UNHCR, at least 82.4 million people around the world have been forced to flee their homes, some 26.4 million of whom are refugees, half of whom are children.

The World Refugee Day is observed every year on 20th June. The United Nations established the day to draw public attention to the problem of people forced to flee their homes and countries in order to escape conflict or persecution. The World Refugee Day is also a day of sympathy and understanding of people's plight, recognizing their courage and efforts to preserve and rebuild their lives.