OSCE Centre in Astana supports implementation of domestic violence legislation
ALMATY, Kazakhstan, 18 October 2012 – The OSCE Centre in Astana supported a roundtable meeting and a workshop on the implementation of the current domestic violence prevention legislation which concluded today.
At the roundtable meeting, the outcomes and recommendations of a three-year project on mechanisms for preventing domestic violence were presented.
Representatives from the Almaty City Administration, law enforcement officials, the Almaty City Department of Education, Health, Labor and Social Programmes, and a district prosecution office. The event aimed to raise awareness about the need to develop practical mechanisms for co-ordination and collaboration between law enforcement officers and other government departments to respond to domestic violence cases.
During the workshop police officers were taught to consider gender aspects and apply legal mechanisms when working with victims of domestic violence. Participants improved their skills in identifying domestic violence victims and enhanced their knowledge about introducing a gender perspective into their work.
Opening the roundtable meeting, Stefan Buchmayer, Human Dimension Officer of the OSCE Centre in Astana, said: “To prevent domestic violence efficiently it is crucial to establish national mechanisms which would allow victims to receive social, legal and psychological assistance from state agencies.”
Rymtai Aktanberlin, the Head of the Preventive Work Unit of the Interior Ministry’s Administrative Police Committee, said: “The number of domestic violence cases has radically decreased since the adoption of the 2009 Domestic Violence Prevention Law, and our goal is to improve the situation further and make the law more effective.”
“Events which help raise local officials’ awareness of the problem of domestic violence are important for preventing and countering it," said Aliya Ilyasova, Programme Coordinator for Kazakhstan, UN Women Sub-regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
This project is supported by the OSCE Centre in Astana in co-operation with the UN Women and the local non-governmental organization Podrugi. The project includes conducting practical workshops for law enforcement officers throughout the country.