Population of women: 3,453,200/6,838,700 Life expectancy of women (at birth): 69 yrs School life expectancy for women: 10 yrs
Adult literacy for women: 100% Adult women economic activity rate: 46% Adult economic activity rate: 54% Source: U.N. Statistics Division, Social Indicators, updated July 2008 (Some statistics provided may be from previous years and other sources as cited by the U.N. Statistics Division)
last updated August 26, 2008
Gender Equality
Under the Constitution of Tajikistan, all individuals are equal before the law and courts, rights and freedoms are guaranteed irrespective of ethnicity, race, sex, language, faith, political beliefs, education, or social or property status and women and men have equal rights. However, traditional attitudes and customs, combined with a legal system that provides inadequate protection, have resulted in a subordinate status for women in Tajikistan.
Women and Education
According to Women and Men in the Republic of Tajikistan, a Digest prepared by Tajikistan's State Statistics Office in 2008, women are making an increased contribution to the economy and to the family budget. Yet, the advancement of women as equal participants in Tajikistan’s transition to a market economy has been jeopardized by a regression in participation of girls in education at all levels in Tajikistan. From: Briller, Vladimir, Tajikistan Country Case Study, Country Profile prepared for the Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2008. The lower percentage of girls in primary and secondary education reflects the view that it is more important to provide education for boys than for girls. From: Women and Men in the Republic of Tajikistan. Studies have found that as grade levels rise, girls' participation falls: “While girls make 47% of students in grade 7, in grade 11 they made only 39%...The situation is undoubtedly more acute in rural areas where dropout rates are much higher for girls as many are forced to marry as teenagers. And among university students, girls make up only about 25% of the total student population.” From: Non-governmental Organizations of Tajikistan, “Shadow Report on the Realization of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,” Dushanbe, November 2006.
The connection between early marriage and the cessation of a girl’s education is well founded. The legal age of marriage in Tajikistan is 17, and the number of nikoh, or unregistered religious marriages, has increased, as have the number of babies delivered by girls aged 15-17. From: Women and Men in the Republic of Tajikistan. NGOs have made some progress in increasing the number of registered marriages. A group of non-governmental organizations in Tajikistan recommended that “With the purpose of reduction of early marriages and increasing the level of girls’ education, [the Government of Tajikistan] should introduce amendments to the Family Code of Tajikistan, increasing the age of marriage from 17 to 18, providing that in exceptional cases the age of consent could be brought down to 17 years old by decision of court. The list of exclusive circumstances allowing the court to make the decision with regard to bringing down the age of consent must be defined.” From: Non-governmental Organizations of Tajikistan, “Shadow Report on the Realization of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,” Dushanbe, November 2006.
Women and Health Care
Young women have been disproportionately affected by the drop in Tajikistan's allocations to the healthcare sector. The Digest noted that “Inadequate nutrition, anemia and early pregnancies threaten the lives of young and adolescent girls…The introduction of paid medical services has reduced rural women's access to antenatal services since obstetrics and gynecology are among the most expensive medical services.” From: Women and Men in the Republic of Tajikistan.
Domestic Violence
According to the Violence Against Women Report on the 1999 World Health Organization Pilot Study in Tajikistan, 50% of Tajik women reported experiencing some form of violence by a family member, while 47% reported experiencing sexual violence by their husbands. Because of traditional attitudes on gender and male dominance, many men in Tajikistan do not feel that beating their wife is physical violence. And, according to Women and Men in the Republic of Tajikistan, most women aged 15-49 years believe that a husband has the right to beat a wife.
There are 12 crisis centers in Tajikistan. In the past 5 years, these crisis centers have received 17,676 applications for assistance or information, and over 77% of these applications have been from women. The type of violence most frequently reported is psychological (56.5% in 2005) and the next most frequent is physical (22.3% in 2005.) From: Women and Men in the Republic of Tajikistan. A draft Bill on Social and Legal Protection against Domestic Violence is scheduled to come before Parliament in 2008. From: Concluding Comments of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women: Tajikistan .
NGOs and police offer differing accounts of the willingness of law enforcement to protect victims of domestic violence, with some activists stating that district police still ignore such cases:
“…Frequently, a victim of violence in order to achieve application of criminal punishment has to overcome reluctance of militia workers to admit her complaint, incorrect treatment of her, intimidation, numerous wearisome and frequently aimless interrogations, being not timely sent to forensic medical examination, inappropriate and tactless carrying out of examination, intrusion into her private life, traumatic confrontations, lack of adequate protection and defending of victims, etc.” From: Non-governmental Organizations of Tajikistan, “Shadow Report on the Realization of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,” Dushanbe, November 2006.
Yet, according to the Ministry of the Interior, the police have set up a special department to deal with domestic violence and other cases of assault, with the result that all cases of domestic violence are now formally recorded and examined. From: Tajik Women's Groups Press for Domestic Violence Law, at http://www.iwpr.net/?p=rca&s=f&o=341537&apc_state=henprca.
Tajikistan’s customary law or tradition tends to blame the woman if she takes a family conflict to law enforcement officials. Thus, both tradition and the legal authorities may restrain women from obtaining their legal rights and their rights to live a life free of violence. From: Khegai, Margarita, Polygamy Research in Tajikistan, Report on the Pilot Research Conducted in Dushanbe, Khatlon's Urban and Rural Areas, February-April 2002.
In May of 2008, the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Yakin Erturk, visited Tajikistan and offered some these observations on the situation involving domestic violence in Tajikistan: “While gender equality is ensured and promoted in law, there are concerns that, in practice, the situation of women has regressed in the past 15 years, and that many significant achievements in the areas of women's employment, participation in public life and education, to name but a few, have taken a step back. Today, women in Tajikistan are caught within a web of poverty, patriarchy, and a weak protective infrastructure, resulting in increased vulnerability to violence and discrimination inside and outside their homes.” For more of the Special Rapporteur’s observations, click here.
Civil Society and Domestic Violence
Gender-based NGOs have been quite successful in advocating for change in the government response to domestic violence. A coalition of NGOs, created in 2005, organized a demand for the implementation of the Tajikistan government’s commitment to focus on violence against women through changes in public policy. The coalition obtained an agreement with the Ministry of the Interior to improve the collection of statistics on domestic violence and to create a working group to draft a Law on Social and Legal Protection on Domestic Violence, which has not yet been enacted. The coalition also worked to raise public awareness of domestic violence. From: UNDP: Civil Society and Human Development in Tajikistan. Nongovernmental organizations in Tajikistan also recommended that the Government of Tajikistan simultaneously adopt the necessary amendments to the criminal law, criminal procedure law and administrative law to facilitate implementation of the new domestic violence law From: Non-governmental Organizations of Tajikistan, “Shadow Report on the Realization of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,” Dushanbe, November 2006. A recent report by The Network of East-West Women also recommended that law enforcement officers be trained to work with victims of violence and that government bodies support NGOs. From: Safarova, Marina, Abdurakhmanvoa, Anjelika, and Kasymova, Rano, EU Gender Watch: A Gender Analysis of EU Development Instruments and Policies In Tajikistan, Representing Central Asia, The Network of East-West Women-Poland, Dushanbe, Khujand 2007.
In Tajikistan, women who are experiencing violence may apply to mahallahs, jamoats, or women’s committees instead of the police. These civic leaders should receive training on women’s rights and legal assistance. In particular, if these bodies were to promote the registration of marriage, women’s rights would be greatly enhanced. Women in unregistered marriages have no property rights should a divorce occur. From: Khegai, Margaret, “Polygamy Research in Tajikistan: Report on the Pilot Research Conducted in Dushanbe, Khatlon's Urban and Rural Areas, February- April 2002.
A lack of sustainability is a crucial issue for NGOs and the services they provide. The government has not, to date, allocated sufficient funding for NGOs in their work against domestic violence, or for shelters for victims of domestic violence. NGOs currently rely on foreign donors. From: Human Rights Violations in Tajikistan Alternative Report to the United Nations Committee Against Torture, 37th Session, in partnership with Tajik NGOs, Geneva-Dushanbe, November 2006, Unedited version.
Polygamy
Polygamy exists in Tajikistan, although it is against the Criminal Code. Some sources say it is due to the shortage of men caused by emigration and the civil war but others say it is the result of the resurgence in conservative religious practices. Still others point to the economic difficulties experienced by single women, especially those with children. The effects of polygamy can be harsh for women. Second and third marriages cannot be legally recognized, leaving the wives without property or inheritance rights. If a husband decides to take a second wife, he may not disclose this to his first wife. Unmarried girls may be given to men as second or even third wives by parents, for economic or social reasons. And, second and third wives may be even more vulnerable to domestic violence and spousal rape. From: Khegai, Margaret, “Polygamy Research in Tajikistan: Report on the Pilot Research Conducted in Dushanbe, Khatlon's Urban and Rural Areas, February- April 2002. According to the Shadow Report by Non-Governmental Organizations of Tajikistan, “…the problem of polygamy is becoming aggravated; rights of both the first and second wives are routinely violated. The growth of the number of second wives from among young girls is a cause for concern.” From: Non-governmental Organizations of Tajikistan, “Shadow Report on the Realization of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,” Dushanbe, November 2006. In 2006, the number of those penalized for polygamous practices had “considerably increased” according to a member of the January 2007 delegation to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. From: Anti-Discrimination Committee Urges Tajikistan To Go Beyond Declaratory Laws, Use Practical Measures, Like Quotas, To Advance Women's Equality, at http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/wom1604.doc.htm
Sexual Assault
Rape is often unreported because of the victim's fear and shame. The police have no special training in the investigations of rape; however, of the cases that do progress to criminal proceedings, over 97% end in convictions. The Criminal Code does not directly address domestic violence, but does contain provisions regarding rape, abuse, beating, torture and damage to health. Rape is prohibited under Article 138 of the Criminal Code and carries a punishment of three to seven years' imprisonment. However, depending on the severity of the crime and the age of the victim, the offender may be sentenced up to twenty years or even to death. There is no special provision in the Criminal Code addressing marital rape, and there have been no complaints in the last 20 years. Trafficking
Tajikistan is both a country of origin and a transit country for trafficked women. Many of the prominent traffickers in Tajikistan are women and "warlords" who rose to power during the Tajik Civil War. Article 132 of the Criminal Code, “Recruitment of people for exploitation” has been used to combat trafficking, and in 2004, “On combating trafficking in humans” (Article 130/1) was adopted by Majlisi Oli, the Tajik Parliament. Several other provisions of the Criminal Code of RT stipulate criminal liability for such acts as illegal restriction of movement (Article 149) and trade in minors (Article 67). The Government of Tajikistan established an Interdepartmental Commission on combating trafficking in humans in 2005 and a Programme on Counter-Operations with Regard to Trafficking in Humans in RT for 2006-2010 was developed by the Government and the IOM of RT in 2006. From: Non-governmental Organizations of Tajikistan, “Shadow Report on the Realization of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,” Dushanbe, November 2006. According to the Shadow Report, corruption in governmental bodies and organized crime play a strong role in the preparation of false documents and the border crossings of victims. Although quantitative data is not available, the prostitution of minors is a special concern due to abandonment of such children to the care of friends or relatives when the parents migrate for employment purposes. The Shadow Report noted that the Criminal Code of RT does not stipulate the status of a victim of trafficking, and as a result, victims are deported as criminals or put in jail. The Shadow Report stated that there is an “obvious necessity for the development and adoption of a bill…which would create shelters and rehabilitation centers for victims of trafficking…”
As noted in Human Rights Violations in Tajikistan: Alternative Report to the United Nations Committee Against Torture, 37th Session, in partnership with Tajik NGOs, Geneva-Dushanbe, unedited version, there are other problems with the Tajikistan legal system that weaken its effect upon human trafficking: the lack of judicial training on the subject; the lack of legislation providing for confiscation of the revenues of human traffickers; and the lack of accountability of government and judicial officials for the proliferation of falsified documents.
Prostitution is considered illegal, but women who are caught are often fined and released. Running a brothel is illegal under Article 239 of the Criminal Code and is punishable by fine or up to five years' imprisonment. Article 239 punishes anyone who involves another in prostitution by a fine or up to two years' imprisonment. The average age of prostitutes, which has dropped alarmingly in past years, is approximately eleven or twelve years; Article 141 criminalizes sexual intercourse with persons under 16 years of age by up to five years in prison. The Alternative Report states that a trend in forced prostitution has been found in recent years in which the victims are tricked into traveling to Russia by means of fraud or a promised marriage, but are in fact forced into prostitution with Tajik male labor immigrants.
Currently, there are two shelters which are specifically for victims of trafficking- one in Dushanbe which is for adults and one in Khujand, for minors. Also, the Crisis Center at NGO “Modar” operates a hot line which provides legal, medical and psychological aid and information to victims of trafficking. From: Non-governmental Organizations of Tajikistan, “Shadow Report on the Realization of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,” Dushanbe, November 2006.