Project MonMa in Tajikistan
Tajikistan is a country in Central Asia that has a rich and diverse culture, history and landscape. However, it is also a country where women and girls are still subject to violence and discrimination in many aspects of their lives.
One of the problems that women and girls face in Tajikistan is bride kidnapping, which is a form of forced marriage that involves abducting a woman or a girl and taking her to the kidnapper’s house, where she is pressured or coerced to marry him. This practice is illegal, but it is still widespread and often tolerated by the society and the authorities.
According to Dilraboi Davlatnazar, a Tajik lawyer, “It’s very difficult to prosecute bride kidnappers, because they usually have the support of their families and communities. The victims are often afraid to report or testify against them, because they fear retaliation or stigma.”
Another problem that women and girls face in Tajikistan is early marriage, which is a marriage that occurs before the age of 18. Early marriage is also illegal, but it is still common and accepted by many families and communities. Early marriage can have negative consequences for the health, education and development of women and girls. As Dilraboi Davlatnazar said, “It’s still a very traditional society and there are very young girls who get married at 16 or 17. They drop out of school, they have children too soon, they suffer from complications during pregnancy and childbirth, they have no voice or choice in their marriages.”
Women and girls face in Tajikistan also suffer from domestic violence, which is any form of physical, sexual, psychological or economic abuse that occurs within a family or a household. Domestic violence is also illegal, but it is still prevalent and often ignored by the society and the authorities. Domestic violence can have harmful effects on the well-being, safety and dignity of women and girls. According to Nigora, a 25-year-old woman who works for an NGO, “There is a lot of domestic violence in Tajikistan, but many women don’t report it or seek help, because they think it’s normal or their fault. They are afraid of losing their husbands or their families. They have no support or protection from the law or the society.”
Additionally, women and girls in Tajikistan face the problem of virginity testing, which is a medical examination that aims to determine whether a woman or a girl has had sexual intercourse before marriage. Virginity testing is also illegal, but it is still demanded and performed by many families and communities. Virginity testing can violate the rights and privacy of women and girls.
As Nigora said, “There is a lot of pressure on girls to be virgins when they get married. If they are not, they can be divorced, beaten or even killed by their husbands or in-laws. They have to undergo humiliating tests or show bloody sheets as proof of their virginity.”
In conclusion, women and girls in Tajikistan are still subject to violence and discrimination in many aspects of their lives. They face problems such as bride kidnapping, early marriage, domestic violence and virginity testing that violate their rights and dignity. However, not all women and girls accept these problems as their fate. Some of them resist and challenge these practices and norms. Some of them speak out and seek justice for themselves and others. Some of them make their own choices and decisions about their bodies and lives. As Farzona, a 23-year-old student who is engaged to her boyfriend said, “I think virginity is a personal choice. It’s not something that should be tested or judged by anyone. It’s my body, my life, my decision.”
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