Population size:
6,456,900 [1]
Number of people experiencing domestic abuse each year:
6,145 domestic violence cases registered by the police in 2019 [2]
7,178 cases registered for the entirety of 2018 by police [3]
UN violence against women reports Women who have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence in their lifetime:266 % Physical and/or Sexual Intimate Partner Violence in the last 12 months against women: 171 % Lifetime Non-Partner Sexual Violence against women: 1 %.[4]
No research on male victims or other gender identities.
Cost of domestic abuse to the economy each year:
No research.
Estimated % change due to COVID-19:
Deputy Minister of labour and social development Aliza Soltonbekova confirmed rise in domestic abuse cases, but no figures.[5], [6]
Current law and policy:
Kyrgyzstan did not join the COMMIT Initiative. Yet, in 2017, Kyrgyzstan enacted a new Law on the Prevention and Protection against Family Violence. In spite of this new law, domestic violence remains a key issue in Kyrgyzstan.
The Law on the Prevention and Protection against Family Violence 2017, replaces the 2003 version, and introduced additional measures aimed at protecting victims, as well as strengthening police and judicial responses.
In particular, the new Law requires police to register any domestic abuse complaint (not only those coming from the victims). It also now recognises economic violence as a form of abuse.
Additionally, the Law On Amending Certain Legislative Acts of the Kyrgyz Republic on the Prevention and Protection accompanied the 2017 Law and changed aspects of the Administrative Code and some other related laws.
However, despite this strong effort to tackle domestic violence, it is an issue that remains prevalent in Kyrgyzstan. Therefore, in January 2020, the Prime Minister, Mukmuhammedkaly Abylgaziev called for stronger laws and harsher punishments to be introduced. This has led to new discussions in parliament related to amending the Law.
Work now begins on improving national legislation further to improve mechanisms that ensure protection for citizens from domestic violence.