Kyrgyzstan became the first nation in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to ratify the International Labor Organization (ILO) Violence and Harassment Convention. This development was confirmed by Jyldyz Polotova, the Deputy Minister of Labor of Kyrgyzstan. Statistics from the International Trade Union Confederation indicate that a significant 40% to 50% of workers globally encountered violence or harassment at their workplaces.
Furthermore, a study by the Kyrgyz Association of Women Judges reveals that one out of every four women experienced violence and harassment at work or during their academic pursuits at university. Polotova recognized the detrimental effects of such experiences, which can lead to mental health issues like depression and joblessness. She voiced the need for effective mechanisms to safeguard women in the workforce.
The ratification of the ILO Convention will necessitate legislative amendments in the country. These changes will authorize labour inspectors to probe into complaints of workplace violence and harassment.
In Kazakhstan, data from the UN Development Program shows that 62.2% of men and 64.9% of women were subjected to harassment at work. Alarmingly, a considerable number of respondents across various regions of the country displayed acceptance towards male-perpetrated violence against women. In the city of Shymkent, more than half of the respondents opined that men are entitled to offend, intimidate, and harass women under certain circumstances.
In February 2024, the Mazhilis of Kazakhstan’s parliament greenlit a draft law that proposes more stringent legal penalties for individuals implicated in domestic violence. If this law is ratified by the Senate and the president, domestic violence will be reclassified from an administrative transgression to a criminal offence. The proposed amendments also include life imprisonment for paedophiles and child murderers, with no provision for amnesty or freedom due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
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