In Almaty, a protest against domestic and sexual violence towards children and women took place. The participants of the rally, held on November 26th at the square behind the «Saryarka» cinema, demanded an end to violence. More details can be found in the report by Stan.kz.
The event was permitted and organized by the youth movement «Zhanga adamdar» (New People). The reason for the protest was the incident involving Saltanat Nukenova, who became a victim of the murder committed by the former minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev. Activists also drew attention to cases of child abuse in schools and kindergartens, calling for an end to such manifestations of violence.
The organizers of the protest emphasized that eradicating violence is necessary for creating a «New Kazakhstan.» They expressed confidence in the support of President Tokayev and stated the need for a change in the mentality of those accustomed to living by old rules and resistant to change.
Movement participants noted that those resorting to violence are unworthy of being called human, and their behavior reduces them to the level of animals.
Asel Badenova, the organizer of the youth movement «Zhanga adamdar,» emphasized that strict legislation in this area will not completely solve the problems.
«Relying solely on the law to solve this problem is not enough; it is important to focus on education to better explain that lack of consent means refusal,» says Asel.
Another activist pointed out that violence is not exclusively a male problem. He highlighted the common belief in society that violence is characteristic only of men, emphasizing that such a belief is mistaken.
Participants in the protest photographed animals and carried placards calling for an end to violence, supporting slogans such as «No way to violence!», «If you hit today, you will be killed tomorrow,» «I am afraid to be next,» and «Violence is not a tradition.»
The brother of Saltanat Nukenova, Aitbek Amangeldi, and TV presenter Diana Kyrykbay also attended the event from Astana. Diana Kyrykbay advises girls to respect themselves and not stay silent in the face of abuse. She also shared that she knew Saltanat well.
«Young girls should not rush into marriage; instead, they should first get an education, find a job, and work. This approach will help avoid financial dependence on husbands and prevent possible cases of violence. Additionally, attention should be paid to upbringing from childhood: boys should be taught respect for girls and not to resort to violence. It is necessary to eliminate outdated notions of differences between boys and girls, as such upbringing leads to negative consequences, including violence and harassment,» shared Diana Kyrykbay.
Veronika Fonova, the founder of the organization «KazFem,» which organizes annual feminist marches, was also supposed to be present at the event. However, the organizers of the rally did not let her in. Fonova planned to raise the issue of pressure on the «Nemolchi» fund. She mentioned that the accounts of this fund, which deals with the protection of women’s rights, are blocked, and a criminal case has been initiated against it.
The issue of violence became a topic of discussion only after the death of Saltanat Nukenova, who, among other things, came from an affluent family. Society and authorities have not paid adequate attention to this problem, so limiting the discussion to individual significant cases is not enough.
