
Forum of Women’s NGOs of Kyrgyzstan
Forum of Women’s NGOs of Kyrgyzstan
On April 12, 2023, the Forum of Women’s NGOs of Kyrgyzstan together with the international NGO ACTED held a consultation meeting on coordination of services on protection from gender and domestic violence in existing shelters and crisis centers.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the needs of crisis centers in the pilot locations of the project (Chui, Batken and Jalal-Abad oblasts) for effective coordination of efforts to provide protection services from domestic violence and joint planning of activities under the project “Strengthening the capacity of civil society to protect women at risk or victims of domestic violence in Central Asia”, implemented by ACTED in partnership with the Women’s NGO Forum and co-funded by the French Development Agency (AFD).
Currently there are 18 Crisis Centers (hereinafter referred to as CCs), of which one is municipal and the rest are established by non-profit organizations. 10 CCs have shelters, 9 CCs have a correctional program for perpetrators of violence. In 2022 the Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Migration supported 10 crisis centers. The budget for CCs is limited. Not all crisis centers are willing to provide statistical information on their activities to the Ministry, explaining that they are not recipients of the state social order.
Services for the correctional program are purchased annually by the Ministry, as the Ministry does not have its own psychologists. The technical support for the hotline 117 is currently being developed. The participants of the meeting presented the current situation of service provision in existing shelters and crisis centers run by different organizations.
Association of Crisis Centers of Kyrgyzstan
Targeted at helping women of any age, including girls, who have suffered from family (including psychological) or sexual violence. There are 12 branches in the country, each with experienced psychologists and lawyers.
Address of the central office: 27/401, Kievskaya St., Bishkek.
Phone: (0312) 66-15-92.
E-mail: association.kg@gmail.com
Ak-Jurok Center (Osh)
The center deals with the prevention of domestic violence. Specialists provide comprehensive support to women who have suffered from beatings and rape; in the case of suicide, they help the victim’s relatives to get the case heard in court.
Phone: (03222) 2-97-57.
E-mail: kjurok05@rambler.ru
Ak-Jurok Center (Osh)
The center deals with the prevention of domestic violence. Specialists provide comprehensive support to women who have suffered from beatings and rape; in the case of suicide, they help the victim’s relatives to get the case heard in court.
Phone: (03222) 2-97-57.
E-mail: kjurok05@rambler.ru
Akyl-Karachach Crisis Center (public association “Ene Nazary”, Gulcha village, Alai district).
Affected women are counseled both at the center itself and at their place of residence. Women with children hiding from domestic tyrants are provided with temporary shelter. Material assistance is provided to those in need.
Telephones: (03234) 2-60-33, 2-61-31.
E-mail: ene-naz@mail.ru
Ayalzat” Municipal Crisis Center
Victims of family violence receive psychological, legal and medical support. They can also expect assistance with paperwork and support in courts and law enforcement agencies. The center can accommodate up to 60 people at a time. The address and phone numbers are not published in open sources for the safety of the victims.
Aruulan Crisis Center (Ayalzat Osh Regional LRC)
Specialists advise women by telephone helpline. There are also face-to-face consultations with a psychologist, lawyer and gynecologist.
Phone: (03222) 5-56-08.
E-mail: ayalzat@netmail.kg
Affected women are counseled both at the center itself and at their place of residence. Women with children hiding from domestic tyrants are provided with temporary shelter. Material assistance is provided to those in need.
Telephones: (03234) 2-60-33, 2-61-31.
E-mail: ene-naz@mail.ru
Ayalzat” Municipal Crisis Center
Victims of family violence receive psychological, legal and medical support. They can also expect assistance with paperwork and support in courts and law enforcement agencies. The center can accommodate up to 60 people at a time. The address and phone numbers are not published in open sources for the safety of the victims.
Aruulan Crisis Center (Ayalzat Osh Regional LRC)
Specialists advise women by telephone helpline. There are also face-to-face consultations with a psychologist, lawyer and gynecologist.
Phone: (03222) 5-56-08.
E-mail: ayalzat@netmail.kg
Altynai Crisis Center (Cholpon-Ata)
Victims are counseled by psychologists, lawyers and gynecologists. The center can also provide women with shelter for the duration of legal proceedings or in the absence of temporary/permanent housing. Assistance is also available through an anonymous helpline.
Phone: (03934) 4-41-37.
E-mail: altynai1951@mail.ru
Violence Prevention Center “Darshayyim”
Provides information and awareness raising activities.
Phone: (0312) 64-93-50.
E-mail: darshayim@mail.ru, mairash_1955@mail.ru
Crisis Center “Janyl Myrza” (public fund “Omur Bulagy”, Batken oblast).
It deals with the legal problems of women who have suffered from domestic violence. They can expect assistance in any issue related to health and safety.
health and safety. The center also provides employment for women and placement of child victims of violence in schools and boarding schools.
Phone: (03622) 2-20-27.
E-mail: kalybek2003@mail.ru
Kanyet Crisis Center (Association “Women Leaders of Jalal-Abad”)
Specialists provide victims of family violence with qualified assistance on various issues.
Phone: (03722) 5-50-84
E-mail: j_saralaeva@mail.ru
Maana Crisis Center (Ayalzat Public Foundation, Talas)
Victims receive medical and legal assistance. If necessary, they are provided with shelter, but not for more than 10 days. If a criminal case is opened against the rapist, the foundation can defend the victim’s interests in court. Financial and employment assistance is also available.
Phone numbers: (03422) 5-38-18, 5-55-81.
E-mail: ayalzat@mail.ru
Public Association “Meerban” (Osh)
Specialists of the center provide not only psychological but also informational support.
support. Advocacy campaigns are also organized.
Telephones: (03222) 7-40-06, 7-40-17.
E-mail: meerban.osh@mail.ru
Sezim Crisis Center
Receives women who need protection during criminal or civil trials (including those with children). On average, victims live here for up to a month; if the situation is not resolved positively for the woman, she can stay at the center for up to 10 months. Gynecologist and therapist services are provided. There is a 24-hour helpline.
Phone: (0312) 51-26-40.
E-mail: sezim2008@gmail.com
Crisis Center “Chance”
One of its main activities is to educate women about their rights. The Center also consults victims of violence face-to-face or by telephone helpline, and provides the following services
assistance from psychologists, lawyers and doctors.
Phone: (0312) 43-53-01.
E-mail: chance-cc@mail.ru
Center for Assistance and Rehabilitation of Women “Himaya”
Address: Karakol city.
Scope of activities:
temporary asylum (up to 14 days);
social and legal support;
consultations of various nature;
legal support if necessary;
assistance in rehabilitation.
Phone numbers: +996 551 733 390 (SMS), +996 702 223 535.
Crisis Center “Tendesh”
Address: Bishkek and Naryn cities.
E-mail: ngo-tendesh@rambler.ru.
Scope of work:
helpline;
face-to-face consultations of psychologist, lawyer, doctor;
providing shelter.
Phone numbers: +996 03522 5 37 70, 5 02 70.
Further, representatives of crisis centers told about the needs of their centers:
All crisis centers need:
finances to support the hotline of each crisis center;
systematic psychological support for the staff of the centers;
regular systemic supervision;
support for the institutional development of crisis centers;
human rights support to crisis centers during court hearings
CCs need SMM specialists to work in social networks in Kyrgyz language
protection of CC staff, as they often receive threats from perpetrators of violence;
systematic trainings for CC staff to overcome burnout.
To increase the effectiveness of work in the field of combating violence against women, it is necessary to:
training of Kyrgyz-speaking psychologists to work in the regions;
to open state crisis centers in all regions
to strengthen the work of local committees for protection and defense against family violence
develop the Kaidabaram platform in Kyrgyz language as it is a very good
resource, as well as funding for an SMM specialist for the Kaydabaram platform.
to develop a dialog platform in social networks to discuss issues of combating violence
organize informational meetings in the regions with the invitation of influencers (opinion makers) who will talk about violence against women;
launch information about violence in Tik-Tok;
supervision so that psychologists after higher education institutions can practice in the field, and then they can disseminate this experience in the field. There is a need for systematicity in this work;
to build the capacity of psychologists on the new methodology;
to increase the gender sensitivity of local authorities in a long-term and systematic way;
lobby for the opening of municipal help centers with the support of local authorities;
to pay attention to those CCs that were not included in the attention of the “Jigerduu Zharandar” project;
to launch a hotline service 117;
to develop a system of assistance to women after rehabilitation in KCs.
to link Women’s Aid Centers under the project “Strengthening Civil Society Capacity to Protect Women at Risk or Victims of Domestic Violence in Central Asia” with psychologists in provincial health offices to provide assistance to women victims of violence in Chui, Jalal-Abad and Batken provinces.
Needs of individual crisis centers:
a child psychologist and educator” and a transit house are needed at the “Ayalzat” KC.
there is a need to establish an official crisis center in Batken with all conditions and equipment;
crisis center “Sezim” needs support at 3 levels: educational, financial, strategic;
crisis center “Tendesh” (Naryn) needs financial support;
crisis center opened in Balykchy, it needs technical support as well as capacity building of staff;
Available resources of crisis centers:
There are developed projects to provide psychological assistance to women victims of violence
Sezim Center can train in providing psychosocial assistance, as specialists from Sezim are certified and can issue certificates themselves.
Center “Sezim” can train nurses and doctors in overcoming burnout (trainings on a paid basis).
There is a manual on case management
Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Migration resources:
Hotline 117 (to be operational in 3 months)
State social order for 4 organizations.
The cost of services will be assessed in 2023.
Risk assessment protocol is being introduced into the law.
Recommendations of the meeting participants:
Introduce CC services in the content of the Kaidabaram platform, link redirects to their social pages;
from September 2023 in the contacts of the platform “Kaydabaram” to introduce contacts of Women’s Aid Centers in 3 pilots and their services within the framework of the project “Strengthening the capacity of civil society to protect women at risk or victims of domestic violence in Central Asia”.
to train local psychologists who speak the Kyrgyz language;
it is necessary to make changes in the regulations, schedules and staff standards of MLSOM.
at the local level it is necessary to develop the system of relations between local authorities and CCs.
the issue of protection mechanisms for victims of family violence and participants in criminal cases and legal proceedings should be developed.