OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports parliamentary hearing on gender and legislation to curb bride kidnapping

BISHKEK, 3 March 2009 - More than 75 participants discussed Kyrgyzstan's draft legislation on gender and marriage age norms at an OSCE Centre-supported parliamentary hearing today. 

The event, initiated by the Parliamentary committee on youth, gender, physical culture, and sport policy, aim of supporting reform of Kyrgyz laws on gender and marriage age and aligning norms to international standards.

"The OSCE was pleased to have this opportunity to participate in this parliamentary hearing on topics, as we can say, 'close to home'. Clearly Kyrgyzstan continues to take measurable strides on gender equality, equal rights and opportunities for men and women, as well as in reducing domestic violence and bride kidnapping. The OSCE will continue to offer practical programmes across Kyrgyzstan in all these domains," said Ambassador Andrew Tesoriere, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.

Orzubek Nazarov, a Member of Parliament, stressed the necessity of the Kyrgyz Republic to fulfill the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

At the discussion, bride kidnapping in Kyrgyz society was discussed, and research on the practice in Naryn province was presented. Cholpon Abdullaeva, who chairs the parliamentary committee on youth and gender policy, also presented independent research findings that showed that in villages where 96 per cent of the population is ethnic Kyrgyz, 80 per cent of the marriages involved bride kidnapping. Although in some cases the 'kidnapping' was symbolic and involved consensual elopements, half of the marriages occurred without the consent of the woman. According to Abdullaeva, some 270 cases of bride abduction were registered at the prosecutor's office in 2008 in Ministry of Internal Affairs. However, criminal proceedings were initiated in only 85 cases, while law enforcement declined to investigate in 177 of the submitted cases.

The Parliamentary hearing brought together more than 75 participants, including parliamentarians as well as representatives of the Presidential administration, government, courts, ministries, civil society, international organizations and media.