Abused by Relatives, Ignored by the State: Domestic Violence Against and Neglect of Women and Girls with Disabilities in Kyrgyzstan

By Human Rights Watch

 Violence against women and girls with disabilities by those who are often closest to them, such as partners or family members, is a serious concern in Kyrgyzstan. Women and girls with disabilities experience domestic violence, including rape, beatings, neglect, and humiliation, in some cases on a daily basis. They are often left without the means to communicate or receive basic support, are socially isolated, and financially controlled. Abused by Relatives, Ignored by the State—based on interviews with survivors of domestic violence, social workers, and experts in three provinces of Kyrgyzstan—documents the violence and state response. It shows how such violence typically goes unreported and unaddressed due to widespread discrimination against people with disabilities in Kyrgyzstan, especially women and girls, whose families often perceive their existence as shameful and hide them from society. It also shows that state agencies are failing to ensure appropriate accommodations in schools and delivery of social services, and law enforcement and justice authorities are doing too little to combat the normalization of such discrimination and violence. Human Rights Watch calls on the Kyrgyz government to shift from a medical to a human rights model in its approach to disability, to provide reasonable accommodations in schools and social protection structures, and to ensure access to justice for survivors of violence.  

New York: Human Rights Watch, 2023. 83p.