WUNRN
07-Oct-09
A new phone line for victims of
domestic abuse in Turkmenistan, although commentators say the government should
be doing a lot more to address the problem.
The hotline began operating in mid-September, with the support of the OSCE
mission in the capital Ashgabat.
“Although the line has only just opened, we are getting calls,” said a member
of staff at the help centre. “We provide not just advice but moral support,
which is very important for such people. I’ve been a victim of domestic
violence myself, and our psychologist helped me.”
No official statistics on domestic violence are available in Turkmenistan, but
local observers say the problem is quite widespread.
“Violence is commonplace in Turkmen families,” said an observer in Ashgabat.
“There is widespread beating of wives, coercive sex, and slave labour where men
make women work at home, for example to make carpets to sell and support the
family.”
The Turkmen authorities do not discuss the problem openly, apparently because
of the dearth of clear information.
Many victims are afraid to speak out because of the taboo surrounding domestic
abuse in a society where patriarchal traditions are still strong.
“It isn’t every Turkmen woman who would take family problems outside the home,”
said an activist of an unregistered non-government group in Ashgabat.
Many women welcome news of the hotline, saying they would use it if they needed
help.
A victim of domestic abuse in the Lebap region of eastern Turkmenistan said she
would feel ashamed if she went to the police to complain about assaults
committed by her husband, so it would be “more convenient and comfortable” to
call the helpline and seek advice anonymously.
“We don’t have the service in our region yet,” she added.
Women’s rights activists say there is little public awareness of violence in
the home, few psychologists or lawyers specialising in this area, and no
systems for rehabilitating the victims. Tight restrictions on the
non-government sector make it impossible to set up organisations to combat
domestic violence, track the scale of the problem, and offer support to
victims.
“I’ve read that some countries have special rehabilitation facilities for such
victims, constituted as NGOs,” said a member of one unregistered group. “I
would like to work for such an organisation and provide real support to women
facing violence.”
An experienced human rights activist said he favoured “tangible measures” such
as legislation to protect victims of domestic violence, and a government
programme to support the family.
“One hotline will not save all the victims,” he added.
When Turkmenistan was discussed at the United Nations Human Rights Council last
December, the working group express concern at the apparent lack of awareness
on violence against women as a problem, and at the failure of Turkmen local
legislation to establish mechanisms to prevent domestic violence and assist its
victims. Turkmenistan ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of all
Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1996.
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