OSCE helps establish first support centre for domestic violence victims in Turkmenistan

A support and assistance centre for victims of domestic violence opened in Ashgabat in April 2012 with support from the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

The centre was set up by the public organization Keik Okara as part of an OSCE Centre project. The project aims to facilitate the establishment and operation of a centre to provide victims of domestic violence and their children with temporary accommodation and boarding. 

“Enabling women to fully exercise their human rights, ensuring their protection and widening their opportunities are extremely important for achieving more prosperity and security in the OSCE area,” said Begoña Piñeiro Costas, the Human Dimension Officer of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “This project demonstrates how much importance we attach to measures to prevent and adequately address gender-related human rights challenges such as domestic violence, and to minimize their negative impact.”

The support centre will be victim-oriented and will offer necessary assistance and psychological and legal advice. If needed, it will direct victims to appropriate public services, including medical and basic vocational/educational or job placement services.

The establishment of the centre is part of the OSCE Centre's larger efforts to support victims of domestic violence, initiated in 2009 with the launching of a hotline.