Questions of harmonization with international legal and policy standards on violence against women and girls in Central Asia

Abstract

This article focuses on the question of how four Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) harmonize their laws with the global VAWG frameworks that these states subscribe to. Specifically, it centers on two international documents, CEDAW (its General Recommendations 19 and 35 on gendered violence) and the Beijing Declaration, and explores the questions of alignment of these frameworks within the Central Asian region. The assessment employs seven key parameters derived from these documents: 1) strengthening legal responses, 2) developing national strategies on gender equality and plans of action, 3) establishing state offices for women's policy matters, 4) collecting national data on VAWG, 5) ensuring regular reporting, 6) setting up crisis centers and shelters, and 7) implementing training programs. The second part of the research incorporates insights from gender experts in the four Central Asian countries to enrich its analysis. The respondents were interviewed about the overall impact of the international legal framework in regulating VAWG in their respective countries, followed by their perspective on whether the region should adopt the the Istanbul Convention or develop its own regional framework to more effectively combat gender-based violence.