European Union, UN to help Kyrgyzstan to counter bride kidnapping
The European Union and UN-Women launched the project «Across Generations and Gender Borders — Communities Combating Gender-Based Violence» in Kyrgyzstan. Nuray Mamytova, the Project Coordinator, informed journalists about it.
According to her, the project’s goal is to prevent and combat forced marriages and marriages with the minors. To do this, specialists will conduct trainings, where they will tell the participants about the importance of family and economic planning, the distribution of household duties between the spouses and the children. The organizers intend to cover the representatives of different age groups.
«We selected the regions having analyzed the statistical data. According to them, the average age of a married girl is 23 in Uzgen district of Osh region. Indirect indicators, for example, early maternity, show the true state of things — the average age of a mother of the first child is 19,» Nuray Mamytova said.
The problem of bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan was again raised after the story of Burulai Turdalieva, who was kidnapped for marriage. The policemen detained the kidnappers. However, in the building of Zhaiyl district police department, the man stabbed the girl with a knife to death.
