OSCE promotes dialogue among government officials and religious leaders on sensitive gender issues in Kyrgyzstan | WPN World People News

The growing trend of early and non-registered marriages, early motherhood and gender-based violence in Kyrgyzstan topped the agenda of a roundtable discussion that took place in Osh.

Participants of a roundtable discussion on the growing trend of early and non-registered marriages, early motherhood and gender-based violence in Kyrgyzstan, Osh, 6 June 2013.

Participants, who included local state officials, members of Women Initiative Groups and religious leaders from the Kyrgyzstan’s provinces of Osh, Jalal-Abad and Batken, discussed their role in supporting women empowerment, gender equality and the fight against gender-based violence. The event was organized by the non-governmental organization, Ensan-Diamond, with support by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.

“Early marriages, bride kidnapping, including of under-age girls, early pregnancies and early motherhood critically affect young women’s health and limits opportunities for them and their children. Often economic dependency and low literacy coupled with the fear of social stigma allow various forms of violence, which inevitably affects society as a whole,” said Jamilya Kaparova, director of Ensan-Diamond. “Discussing these issues in a collegial manner by so many different stakeholders is crucial for raising awareness of them.”

Graziella Pavone, OSCE Human Dimension Officer at the Osh Field Office, added: “This pilot initiative is meant to expand the platform of those working on raising awareness on gender-based violence at community level. The project, launched in May, responds to concrete challenges in the country and is in line with OSCE’s efforts to engage men into the promotion of gender equality.”

The discussions also covered homegrown mechanisms to address the problems jointly by state institutions and civil society. A local human rights organization, Bir Duino-Kyrgyzstan, presented the findings of a study on early marriages and early motherhood in Kyrgyzstan.

The event provided a platform for discussing the role that religious leaders and active community women, who are organized in informal Women Initiative Groups, can play in preventing domestic violence and early marriages.

Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe