A Kazakhstani member of the Mazhilis has spoken out about the necessity of punishing women when domestic abusers raise their hand against them. Amanat Zharqynbek regards it as a glaring injustice that only men are penalized for domestic violence, as women are also at fault in such cases… How can this be?
Is That Not Enough?
What most concerns the deputy is that there is a presumption of guilt only in the case of men. According to him, after domestic brawls result in a 15-day confinement, the offenders themselves often don’t want to return to their families. He sees this as a significant oversight that undermines family values.
«Our country, our land, occupies a vast territory. We do not have the mentality of the South and the North, the East and the West. Young people from these regions form families with each other. They speak different languages and hold different positions. There will be conflicts until they become a family. If we take away the husband and lock him up every time there’s a dish breakage, most of them won’t be able to become a family again,» stated the deputy.
According to Zharqynbek’s views, in cases where a man is found guilty of domestic violence, both the husband and his spouse should be placed in solitary confinement. He believes that if family responsibilities are divided equally, many problems can be controlled.
It’s needless to say that the controversial statement by the Mazhilis member has shaken Kazakhstani society. It particularly upset human rights activists who work to support victims of violence. In the deputy’s opinion, it seems that a woman who has experienced humiliation and suffered physical abuse should be punished once again. This implies that she hasn’t suffered enough?
Everyone Is Guilty, But Not Him…
After the criticism from human rights activists, Zharqynbek added:
«I said it figuratively; measures need to be taken. We always take one-sided measures. Both family members should bear responsibility. I expressed my opinion. I see that 50% of men share this view on social media. Of course, a woman should not receive the same punishment as a man. I am against that,» said Mazhilis Parliament deputy Zharqynbek Amanatay.
According to the majority of domestic abusers, it’s the woman who provokes the abuse, and for some reason, men can’t seem to take responsibility for their actions. Does this mean he is equating men with passive beings?
«If we consider any objection from women as provocation, then forgive me, we will suppress our women. She will sit under the table and be afraid to come out from under it and say a word. You know, many women turn to crisis centers not because a man beats them, but because after that, the man starts to abuse the children,» noted Anna Ryl, the head of the «Qorqau Astana» foundation.
This Is The Norm
Not only do some Kazakhstani members of the Mazhilis support the idea of abusing women, but some countries in the world also do not condemn domestic violence at the legislative level. And these are far from progressive first-world countries. By default, women are considered guilty in all sins there. Even the victims of violence have learned to willingly believe in this. A similar practice can be observed in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
There, nearly three-quarters of women believe that beating a wife is justified under certain circumstances. Furthermore, Congolese women are not only deprived of basic human rights but are also entirely under the control of their husbands, not even having the right to sign legal documents without their knowledge.
In Senegal, violence against women has become so normalized that genital mutilation, rape, incest, and domestic violence are no longer violations of local laws. Perhaps even Elena Malysheva would be shocked by such a norm.
Her Body — His Business.
In Zambia, women not only lack fundamental rights but are also frequent victims of HIV infection because they cannot even protect their bodies from unwanted sexual acts.
Egyptian women also have an unfortunate fate. Domestic violence is not prosecuted in this country at all. The criminal code considers family disputes as the personal affair of each family. Assault is not a reason to call the police. If you got beaten, it means you «deserved» it. Looking at the practices that have developed in the mentioned countries, it becomes somewhat alarming that some deputies see our country not as progressive and free, but filled with restrictions that uphold questionable traditions and remnants of a cruel past. As long as we continue to reminisce about it and adhere to ephemeral «family values,» we will remain stagnant.
