Human Rights Watch (HRW) is ready to establish cooperation with all interested ministries and agencies of Tajikistan in preventing domestic violence in the country.
The Tajik Interior Ministry press center reports HRW representatives Steve Swerdlow and Victoria Kim have visited Tajikistan’s Interior Ministry.
Ms. Zumrad Abdullozoda, the head of the Interior Ministry Department for International Cooperation, has received them.
The two sides reportedly discussed issues related to cooperation between Tajikistan and Human Rights Watch in preventing domestic violence.
Ms. Abdullozoda informed the HRW representatives about Tajikistan’s domestic violence legislation and measures taken by the Tajik authorities to prevent domestic violence in the country.
In the course of the talks, Steve Swerdlow, Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, noted that HRW was ready to with all interested ministries and agencies of Tajikistan in preventing domestic violence in the country.
Domestic violence, including spousal abuse, remains a widespread problem in Tajikistan. According to the US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2015, a survey conducted by the National Statistic Committee during the year shows that 19 percent of women between ages 15 and 49 reported they experienced physical violence since age 15. The highest incidence of domestic violence was reported in Sughd, where 22 percent of women reported suffering domestic violence. The lowest reported level of domestic violence was in the Districts of Republican Subordination around Dushanbe, where 13 percent of women reported suffering domestic violence. Women underreported violence against them due to fear of reprisal or inadequate response by police and the judiciary, resulting in virtual impunity for the perpetrators, the Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 2015 on Tajikistan says. Authorities wishing to promote traditional gender roles widely dismissed domestic violence as a “family matter.” Women and girls were reportedly more vulnerable to domestic violence because of early and unregistered marriages.
In 2012 the government adopted a law on domestic violence that is in line with internationally accepted standards; however, the implementing mechanism was inadequate. The Ministry of Internal Affairs lacked the capacity and training to implement the law, although it worked with the international community to increase capacity. In May 2014 the government adopted an action plan to implement domestic violence law. The plan calls for law enforcement, court officials, the prosecutor’s office, and representatives of relevant government bodies to receive training on their responsibility to combat domestic violence. The plan also calls for greater cooperation between law enforcement officials and local leaders to change societal attitudes towards domestic violence. The government took some steps to collect information on domestic violence, but many cases of domestic abuse went unreported.
Founded in 1978, Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. HRW headquarters are in New York City with offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Nairobi, Paris, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Washington, D.C., and Zurich.
