National Commission for Women, Family and Demographic Policy of Kazakhstan joins UN Women and the UN Secretary-General's call for "peace in the home"

To mark the International Day of Eliminating Violence against Women Lazzat Ramazanova, Chair, National Commission for Women, Family and Demographic Policy of Kazakhstan 🇰🇿, joins UN Women and the UN Secretary-General's call for "peace in the home":

We are against violence!

On 25 November, we celebrate annually the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, initiated by the UN General Assembly.  At the same time, the international campaign "16 Days without Violence" begins, which will last until 10 December  - the International Human Rights Day.

Unfortunately, the problem of violence against women has no geographical boundaries and continues to be one of the most widespread forms of human rights violations worldwide. Kazakhstan is no exception. We continue to hear about the incidence of violence against women and children from different regions of the country. And the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the problem.

How can we resist violence?

As a state, the problem should be solved at the legislative level. Presently, the Majilis is considering a bill, "On countering family-domestic violence." The objective of this measure is not just to eradicate violence but also to create a system of effective prevention. I note that this legislation is based on the foundations of the pilot project, "Kazakhstan without domestic violence," implemented by the National Commission for Women, Family and Demographic Policy.

At the same time, I am convinced that modern society should uphold and be committed to the basic tenet of ZERO TOLERANCE of violence. Anyone, who justifies cruelty and injustice, becomes an accomplice in the crime. It is important to understand that, as long as society will put up with the prevalence of violence for any reason, the fate of women and children will be doomed.

This forward-looking initiative of the UN, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, is accompanied by the hashtag #orangetheworld. Orange is the symbol of hope for a better future where women and girls are not abused.

As Chair of the National Commission, and as a citizen of Kazakhstan, I fully endorse this initiative. And I call on everyone, who is concerned about and condemns this current scourge, to also support this campaign.

Publish a post under the hashtag #orangetheworld and tag a photo with an orange element in your clothes or interior decor. Let us prove that in an independent and civilized country like ours, which seeks to ensure a happy life for all its citizens, there is no place for violence!