OSCE Centre concludes project on combating domestic violence in Kazakhstan

The concluding roundtable meeting in the framework of an OSCE-supported three-year project Say No to Violence took place on 25 November 2014 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Some 60 representatives from the National Commission on Women’s Affairs and Family Demographic Policy, law enforcement agencies, the Almaty City Administration, the Almaty City Department of Education, Health, Labor and Social Programmes as well as the District Prosecutor’s Office participated in the event aimed to raise awareness about the need to develop practical mechanisms for co-ordination and collaboration between law enforcement officers and other government departments to respond to cases of domestic violence.

Since 2011, the Centre in Astana has supported a number of projects on preventing and countering domestic violence. It promoted and supported the adoption of the draft law “On Prevention of Domestic Violence”, conducted awareness-raising and capacity-building events in implementing the law and developing clear procedures and guidelines on its enforcement.

The projects were implemented in partnership with the Administrative Police under the Interior Ministry and the non-governmental organization Podrugi with support of the National Commission on Women's Affairs and Family Demographic Policy, the Almaty City Akimat and UN Women.

As a result of this multi-year project, the Centre supported two publications for law enforcement officers and prosecutors on selective criminal code and code of administrative offences articles related to combating domestic violence as well as four workshops conducted by legal experts for 100 police officers from seven districts of Almaty on gender aspects and legal mechanisms of working with victims of domestic violence.

The event is part of the Centre’s long-term work in helping the host country reform its legislation and practice with regard to combating domestic violence