WUNRN
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/RiseinunregisteredmarriagesinKyrgyzstancalledworrying.aspx
KYRGYZSTAN – RISE IN UNREGISTERED MARRIAGES A CONCERN FOR RIGHTS & ECONOMIC POSITION OF WOMEN
”An increase in the number of unregistered marriages in Kyrgyzstan is causing concern among women’s groups and the UN Human Rights Regional Office for Central Asia.
Two Kyrgyz women lay out balls of
salted cottage cheese to dry. A rise in unregistered marriages, particularly in
the countryside, is causing concern among human rights activists.
© Credit EPA/Igor Kovalenko
11 February 2015 - The ceremonies are carried out mainly in
Kyrgyzstan rural areas.
The marriages have no legal standing in the country. Under
Kyrgyzstan family code, women and men have equal property rights in marriage,
with couples signing a contract stating the division of property between them.
But in unregistered marriages, there is no such contract and women lose out on
these benefits.
“The practice is of concern because it undermines the rights and
economic position of women and is closely tied with a prevalence of domestic
violence,” said UN Human Rights Office Regional Representative Elisabeth da
Costa.
“Some of the most problematic consequences of unregistered
marriages are the rights of women to property, obtaining birth certificates for
children and access to social services. We try to tackle problems through
different approaches including wide awareness raising campaigns, together with
local partners.
One of these partners, the Women Entrepreneur Support
Association/WESA says that only in 2014, compared to 2013, the number of those
seeking legal advice on matters of sharing matrimonial property and on
inheritance rights, has nearly doubled”, said Sabine Machl, the representative
of the UN Women Kyrgyzstan Country Office.
“It is troubling that this practice is on the increase,” Da Costa
said. “Although Kyrgyz legislation provides de jure gender equality, there is a
significant gap regarding de facto equality for women in practice.” “The rise
in unregistered marriages is symptomatic of a return to traditional values
brought on by the socio-economic hardships in Kyrgyzstan,” Da Costa said. These
hardships have been exacerbated by a large immigration of people, especially
from the countryside, to Russia in search of work.
“As a result, traditional values, often along patriarchal lines,
took over,” she said. “Girls are expected to marry young, often against their
will, without legal recognition. Women are given less status and this creates
an environment for marginalization and increasing vulnerability for them.”
The UN Human Rights Regional Office for Central Asia has been
working to ensure that women’s rights are protected and brought to the
attention and action of State authorities. The Office is also providing
technical support to State officials on better enforcement of existing laws.
During the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), Kyrgyzstan accepted
recommendations to take further legislative and practical measures to eliminate
violence against women, in particular bride-kidnapping of underage girls,
polygamous unions, forced marriages and early marriage of girls. The UPR is a
review of the human rights records of a member State. It provides the state an
opportunity to declare what it has done to improve human rights in their
countries and fulfil their obligations.
“We hope to provide more awareness and protection of women’s
rights to matrimonial property and their security,” Da-Costa said.
“Gender-based violence remains one of the most pervasive forms of violence
against women in Kyrgyzstan and we will continue to work with NGOs and other
United Nations agencies to flag this issue and give it more visibility.”