"A woman's place is in the kitchen?" How domestic violence is being fought in Uzbekistan

"A woman's place is in the kitchen?" How Uzbekistan fights domestic violence

A girl is married off without her consent right after high school, a woman is afraid to leave the house to see a doctor, and money and cellphones are under constant control. For many in Uzbekistan, this is considered the norm of family life. In reality, however, such stories demonstrate how diverse domestic violence can be when hidden behind a false concept of family.

How to reverse this trend and help victims of abuse was discussed in Tashkent at the final round table of the project "Safety and Freedom of Women: From Manual to Practice." It was organized by the Latvian MARTA Centre and the Center for Support of Civic Initiatives. The meeting was attended by about 40 representatives of government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and international partners. Participants summarized the results of seven mini-projects implemented in the regions.

How it all began

Iluta Lāce, a representative of the MARTA Centre, said that the project aims to ensure the safety of women not only in public places, but also at home. The organization has been cooperating with colleagues from Uzbekistan since 2009. During this time, the country's legislation has changed and women's support services have emerged; however, laws alone are not enough, she stressed.

According to her, it is important that women themselves are able to recognize violence and know where to turn for help. It is equally important that specialists working with victims can distinguish psychological violence from ordinary family conflicts and do not consider threats, pressure, and control to be the norm.

Therefore, before launching regional initiatives, the participants discussed the problem with local specialists, took into account common ideas about the family in Uzbekistan, and jointly prepared materials for the population and a methodological guide for those who help victims. Then, trained organizations tested the proposed approaches in practice. The work was carried out with various audiences — women, teenagers, students, men, social service staff, and law enforcement officers.

"Why doesn't she just leave?"

One of the key topics of the round table was violence that is difficult to notice from the outside. Many people recognize physical aggression immediately, but constant bans, humiliation, isolation from loved ones, and control over earnings and phones can be perceived for years as part of the usual family routine. Psychological, economic, and digital violence are not always realized even by those who experience them.

Iluta Lāce recalled the mechanism of power and control, as well as the cycle of violence, where a period of reconciliation follows threats and cruelty. Therefore, the question "Why doesn't she just leave?" often turns out to be the wrong starting point. Leaving can become a particularly dangerous moment, and a woman needs a risk assessment, a safe action plan, and several agencies ready to work together, rather than an evaluation of her conduct.

The expert stressed that the person who commits violence bears the responsibility for it. It cannot be shifted onto the woman by explaining what happened through her behavior, character, or desire to preserve the family. At the same time, it is important for a specialist to understand the limits of their own capabilities, because in one case legal advice is required, in another — medical assistance, intervention by internal affairs bodies, or support from social workers and "Inson" centers.

The participants also spoke separately about the emotional burden on counselors: without professional support and interaction with colleagues, those who listen to other people's stories daily can quickly burn out.

"Explain this to our men"

Representatives of regional projects shared their experience. For example, in the Yangi-Namangan and Davlatabad districts of the Namangan region, it turned out that families often arrange their daughters' engagements while they are still in the eighth or ninth grade. At the same time, the girls' own opinions are often not asked. For some parents, their daughter's further education is not considered a priority: they have another plan — the daughter will graduate from school and then get married.

During consultations, however, the young women spoke of other goals: they wanted to study with tutors, enter university, master a profession, or start their own business. Specialists concluded that conversations about protection from violence cannot be separated from a girl's right to choose her future. If decisions about education and marriage are made by others, economic dependence is formed long before marriage.

The women themselves suggested expanding the project's audience and involving their husbands. "Explain this to our men as well," they said. The organizers began to involve imams and discuss with families the opportunity for young women to study, work, and manage their own earnings. According to a round table participant, these topics were raised, among other places, during Friday sermons.

At the same time, specialists tried to give women and girls tools for greater independence. Confectionery and national craft courses attracted 150 people who had survived violence or were at risk. According to the organizers, about 30% of the participants were able to start a small business or work for themselves. This does not solve all family problems, but having an income gives a person more freedom when making decisions.

In addition, violence prevention seminars were held for more than 600 schoolgirls. Educational events reached 750 residents, legal and psychological consultations were received by over 400 people, and information materials were distributed among 2,500 people.

Developing a correct understanding of norms

A different way of preventing violence before it escalates into a crisis was chosen by the Samarkand organization "Raxmdillik", which was already working in this area. As part of a new stage, its employees went beyond their usual audience and visited schools in the Pastdargom and Pakhtachi districts.

First, they worked with teachers and school psychologists, explaining how ideas about gender are formed and discussing issues of violence. Then, the educators conducted classes with boys and girls. Lawyers traveled to give consultations, and prepared booklets were passed on to parents through the children.

This approach allows discussing the problem even before a victim needs urgent help. At school, it is possible to discuss respect, personal boundaries, and the right to make one's own decisions before young people start families. The goal, project participants emphasized, is not to scare children with a list of crimes, but to teach them not to consider control, humiliation, and coercion to be the norm.

Recognizing oneself in someone else's story

Zulfiya Khaidarova, head of the "Yuksalish" Information, Advice and Resource Center from the Qashqadaryo Region, spoke about how little young people know about forms of violence. Her team worked with eight universities at once. According to the results of the study, it turned out that not all young people understand where to turn in such situations or how to act if this happens to someone they know.

During the workshops, it turned out that some participants had survived violence themselves, including sexual violence. During these sessions, female students cried and sometimes left the room because what they heard during the discussion brought them back to their own experiences.

Working with young people and families requires changing not only knowledge, but also familiar ideas about the role of women. In the Sirdaryo Region, the organizers started by debunking stereotypes that are often used to justify inequality: "A woman's place is in the kitchen," "A married daughter is a piece cut off," and others.

The project representative explained that she constantly heard such expressions at training sessions and in ordinary conversations. Therefore, the team decided to reach out to those who were not usually invited to such meetings: military personnel, law enforcement officers, and men in correctional facilities.

Conversations about violence — over plov

In the Andijan Region, the "Khamrokh" organization chose a format that helped start a conversation where people were wary of it. The team worked in Andijan, as well as the Altynkul and Marhamat districts. According to the observations of the project participants, traditional views on the family and women's dependence on relatives prevented open discussion of violence. Inviting residents to a seminar was not easy: some considered such talks useless, while others were suspicious of the word "gender" itself.

Activists began holding meetings in a format familiar to mahallas — with tea drinking, plov, and a cultural program. During the communication, issues of family prohibitions, women's rights, and religious interpretations that are sometimes used to justify coercion were raised. Gradually, the conversation was successfully built primarily with men, fathers-in-law, and other older relatives. Lawyers, representatives of religious communities, and specialists capable of answering questions without mutual accusations were invited to the meetings.

In the course of this work, the organizers learned the story of a woman who was afraid to leave the house even for medical treatment. Before leaving to work in Russia, her husband said: "If you leave the house, you will be considered divorced three times." The woman stayed to live in his family's house and was afraid to break the ban. When she fell ill and needed medical help, she refused to go to the doctor, fearing that it would lead to divorce.

In the final part of the round table, participants discussed proposals to improve the legal framework, work with abusers, enhance interagency response, and foster cooperation between public organizations and government structures.

The meeting covered hundreds of consultations, thousands of distributed materials, and dozens of classes. But behind the numbers, similar questions arose again and again: will a schoolgirl be able to refuse an enforced engagement, will a woman be able to leave a dangerous relationship, will a female student who decides to talk about her experience be heard? It is not enough to tell a woman that she has rights: it is necessary to ensure that she can exercise them.