UN Women and French Embassy Collaborate to Strengthen Shelters for Survivors of Gender-Based Violence in Tajikistan

29 March, 2024, Dushanbe, Tajikistan - UN Women and the French Embassy in Tajikistan partnered to host an event focusing on protecting survivors of gender-based violence through shelters. The event aimed to raise awareness among governmental authorities, the private sector, development partners, and key stakeholders about the activities and achievements of shelters in Tajikistan.

The event brought together more than 60 participants and featured a panel discussion with directors of four shelters, highlighting challenges, best practices, and lessons learned. Key challenges included insufficient financial resources, a lack of experienced and gender-sensitive psychologists, and ensuring the safety and security of shelter personnel.

The event aimed to foster partnerships between shelters and organizations to contribute to creating a comprehensive and effective response to gender-based violence. By bringing together diverse expertise, resources, and perspectives, these partnerships can significantly amplify efforts to raise awareness, provide support, and prevent further violence.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Parvathy Ramaswami, UN Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan, highlighted that “This event is yet another opportunity to reaffirm our collective partnership and collaboration to protect and support survivors and to eliminate the scourge of gender-based violence that prevents our community, society and the nation from achieving gender equality and empowerment."

Ms. Malika Jurakulova, the Head of UN Women in Tajikistan emphasized: “This topic is crucial as there are only five shelters available for a population of 10 million people, out of which four are run by public organizations, with only one being run by the state. In collaboration with the French Embassy, we aim to draw the attention of all our development partners to this issue and raise awareness about the existing challenges.”

During her opening remarks, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to the Republic of Tajikistan, Mrs. Elsa Pignol stated “Like Tajikistan, like all the countries in the world, France has been facing this problem for centuries but took legal and concrete measures quite recently. The eradication of domestic violence is a long and complex process which needs to be conducted jointly on legal, educational and practical grounds.  It requires constant monitoring: no country, including mine, can claim to have overcome this problem forever. No country has lessons to give.”

In his opening remarks, Mr. Peter Riley, USAID Mission Director in Tajikistan, emphasized that ‘’Protecting women and girls is not only a matter of human rights, justice, and fairness, but also a strategic imperative that has wide-ranging positive impacts on society. He stressed that gender-based violence is not solely a women's issue, but a human rights concern that demands urgent attention and concerted action from all segments of society”.

The event also sought to identify strategies for further advancements in this crucial area. UN Women's "Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention and Response in Tajikistan" project, supported by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the US Department of State, is dedicated to enhancing services for GBV victims, including through shelters.

Ms. Madina Nizomova, the director of Public Organization "Ghamkhori" in Bokhtar, emphasized the crucial role of NGOs in introducing activities to address the aggression and stereotypes prevalent in the community towards vulnerable groups. She also shared statistics indicating that 2,351 individuals sought support from the organization, with 91 women and 118 children finding placement in the shelter from January 2020 to December 2023.

Public Organization "Korvoni umed," provided shelter/temporary residence to 22 women, 6 teenagers, and 32 children in 2023. Since the beginning of the project, they have supported 296 women, 63 teenagers, and 281 children. Ms. Umeda Sadritdinova, the director of the organization, stressed the importance of prioritizing the safety of shelter employees and those at risk, particularly individuals with HIV/AIDS or TB.

Ms. Gulrukhsor Abdullaeva, Director of the Public Organization "Gulrukhsor", emphasized the enormous impact of kindness and care, noting that even a small gesture can significantly improve a person's life. In 2023, the organization received 2,401 calls to the helpline and night consultations, and 112 women with children were placed in shelters.

UN Women has worked in Tajikistan since 1999 to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment. Aligned with the country’s national development priorities, UN Women supports Tajikistan’s efforts to implement its gender equality commitments by focusing on women empowerment, ending violence against women and peace and security and engendering humanitarian action.