KYRGYZSTAN TODAY Policy briefs on - Department of Geography
KYRGYZSTAN TODAY Policy briefs on - Department of Geography
KYRGYZSTAN TODAY Policy briefs on - Department of Geography
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present this image <strong>of</strong> woman as an ideal. In the l<strong>on</strong>g run, there is a risk that such a shift<br />
in values may lead to the disappearance <strong>of</strong> the cultural aspect <strong>of</strong> an entire nati<strong>on</strong>, and<br />
even the State itself.<br />
Current policies <strong>of</strong> the KR in general do not oppose Westernizati<strong>on</strong>; <strong>on</strong> the c<strong>on</strong>trary,<br />
they support such ideas that come from abroad under the guise <strong>of</strong> the beautiful title<br />
“Gender <str<strong>on</strong>g>Policy</str<strong>on</strong>g>” [8].<br />
Criticism <strong>of</strong> Existing Policies<br />
The problem is, first and foremost, that the principles <strong>of</strong> the “gender policy” <strong>of</strong> the<br />
West are being transferred to the East, which has a different world <strong>of</strong> values. Besides,<br />
there are certain stereotypes about Islam, about Muslims in general and the status <strong>of</strong><br />
woman in Islam in particular. For instance, according to these stereotypes, Islam gives<br />
woman a subordinate role, granting her <strong>on</strong>ly duties and no rights.<br />
Perhaps earlier, before the emergence <strong>of</strong> the Soviet Uni<strong>on</strong>, some issues were crucial,<br />
such as whether a woman should work or not, whether she has the right to educati<strong>on</strong> or<br />
property, if she could testify, inherit, buy and sell property, if she should marry a man she<br />
desired or a man her parents found for her, as well as other issues related to social relati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
Many <strong>of</strong> these issues are no l<strong>on</strong>ger relevant, but some <strong>of</strong> them remain pertinent to this day.<br />
For example, the phenomen<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> stealing a bride was not eliminated during the years <strong>of</strong><br />
Soviet rule, despite the fact that there was (and still is) a legal penalty for that. This means<br />
that the law does not work [3]. Such social phenomena should be the subject <strong>of</strong> attenti<strong>on</strong><br />
to the “gender policy” <strong>of</strong> the State and internati<strong>on</strong>al organizati<strong>on</strong>s. No <strong>on</strong>e infringed <strong>on</strong><br />
a woman’s right to participate in the political and socio-ec<strong>on</strong>omic life <strong>of</strong> society, which is<br />
certainly necessary for democratic development <strong>of</strong> the government and society.<br />
While the legal penalty for forced marriage c<strong>on</strong>tinues to be inactive, the “gender<br />
policy” has focused <strong>on</strong> the facts that women are underrepresented in public and political<br />
life and that, in the new parliament, there are virtually no women and that very few women<br />
occupy high <strong>of</strong>ficial posts [8]. Kyrgyzstan has ratified over 30 internati<strong>on</strong>al c<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong>s<br />
and protocols <strong>on</strong> human rights, including the C<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the Eliminati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> All Forms<br />
<strong>of</strong> Discriminati<strong>on</strong> against Women [8]; however, the gender issue remains unsolved. There<br />
is a problematic gap between law and reality, which negatively affects the politics and, in<br />
turn, affects society.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the negative aspects <strong>of</strong> modern society is the double burden placed <strong>on</strong><br />
women’s shoulders. As a result <strong>of</strong> the “feminist gender policy”, aspects such as a woman’s<br />
right to choose became insignificant. In other words, the right to work is purposefully<br />
imposed <strong>on</strong> a woman as an obligati<strong>on</strong> to work. As a result, a woman-mother, instead <strong>of</strong><br />
breastfeeding her child and cultivating trust in God, love <strong>of</strong> homeland and other high<br />
values in her child, hurries to work, competing with her husband and defending herself<br />
by the right to work. Thus, women have to manage housekeeping and simultaneously<br />
pursue a successful career, working full-time and in full force. In doing so, very <strong>of</strong>ten they<br />
have to justify themselves in their choice before others, risking the blame <strong>of</strong> choosing an<br />
“easy way” or being “lazy” if they prefer to stay at home and bring up children. Another<br />
extreme view is blaming women for being “uncaring” wives or mothers, thinking <strong>on</strong>ly<br />
about m<strong>on</strong>ey, if they prefer to work. Of course, here the Eastern noti<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> family plays a<br />
role, since it is very different from that noti<strong>on</strong> in the West or in America, where the family,<br />
as we understand it, is virtually n<strong>on</strong>-existent.<br />
Islam and Islamic law have had a pr<strong>of</strong>ound influence <strong>on</strong> the history <strong>of</strong> legal<br />
development in many states, in particular <strong>on</strong> the situati<strong>on</strong> with human rights and<br />
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