Every year, on International Women's Day, a march dedicated to women's rights in Kyrgyzstan takes place in Bishkek. This year, the event was held in the Maxim Gorky Square after receiving permission from the authorities.
More than a hundred activists and citizens gathered to express their support. Police officers monitored the order at the event.
Aigul Storozhuk, a representative of the organizing committee, shared that this year, obtaining permission for the march was difficult. Initially, the organizers were prohibited from holding a procession, only allowing a rally.
“We tried to obtain permission for the traditional procession, but received a signal that the rally could also be canceled,” she noted.
Storozhuk also spoke about how members of the Jogorku Kenesh who supported the activists faced criticism online, particularly Elvira Surabaldiyeva was attacked.
Nevertheless, the activists were able to send an appeal to the president, which ultimately allowed the rally to take place.
Aigul Storozhuk emphasized the importance of such events for society, considering the ongoing cases of femicide and violence against women in the country.
“If you look at the comments online, you can see that about 80% of them blame women for the incidents that occurred,” she added.
Storozhuk highlighted that victims are often blamed for being “in the wrong place,” “dressed inappropriately,” or “under the influence.”
“Our goal is to convey that the blame always lies with the perpetrator,” she stated.
Participants of the rally, Darya and Alisa, are confident that women are not weak. They noted that events of this kind show that women and men who support them can unite in the fight against violence.
The former ombudsman of Kyrgyzstan, Atyr Abdrakhmatova, also participates in rallies in support of women every year. She stated that the level of violence in the country, unfortunately, remains high.
“In Kyrgyzstan, many women experience imposed shame. It is shameful to be a woman, shameful to express your opinion, and to respect yourself. We must get rid of this shame and speak openly,” Abdrakhmatova believes.
According to her, such rallies are gradually bearing fruit. Previously, provocations occurred during marches, activists were detained and criticized, but now such cases are almost nonexistent.
She also noted that participants in the rallies are often attributed “Western values,” however, in her opinion, in Kyrgyz traditions, women have always held an equal position with men.
“Even a yurt is divided into two equal parts — male and female,” she added.
The human rights activist pointed out that a significant change has been the participation in rallies of families of violence victims, who are increasingly openly sharing their tragedies and how the justice system does not always protect the victims.
Some participants showed a creative approach to the rally. Activist Nazik has been bringing a board resembling a drum from the TV show “Field of Miracles” for several years. Anyone can spin the arrow, but it always stops on the section that says “a woman chooses for herself.”
Another activist, Alena, prepares a special announcement with tear-off sheets every year, on which the steps that bring women closer to freedom are written. Participants of the rally can tear off the sheet they consider the most important.
