Ending domestic violence in Kazakhstan: stories from survivors and allies

Until recently, survivors like Damira had few legal options they could rely on to escape their abusers. 

In 2017, Kazakhstan decriminalized domestic violence, effectively normalizing intimate-partner abuse. Authorities treated beatings and minor physical harm as administrative violations, rather than criminal acts. When charges were filed, survivors were expected to gather evidence and witnesses themselves – an arduous process that often led to the dismissal of cases. 

For Raikhan (name changed), 45, the old laws and attitudes failed her. “My husband abused me for years. When I finally went to the police, they told me to reconcile. It was ‘a personal matter,’ they said. I didn’t file a statement, so I didn't get any help.”

Anna Ryl is a long-time women’s rights advocate and a member of UN Women’s Civil Society Advisory Group. For more than 16 years, she has run shelters for survivors. “[We started our first shelter] when I realized a woman had nowhere to go,” Ryl recalls. “I found a three-room house on the outskirts of town, and we renovated it into a shelter. No funding. No team. Just the will to help.” 

Ryl stresses how children also suffer in these conditions. “They can’t pack a suitcase and leave. They endure their father’s violence and their mother’s pain,” she laments. “The trauma is passed on.”

Finally, the tide has begun to turn. “As soon as domestic violence was decriminalized, we immediately recognized the urgent need to restore legal protections for survivors,” says Dina Amrisheva, Interim Head of UN Women’s Kazakhstan Office. 

In 2023, the nation was reeling from the high-profile femicide of Saltanat Nukenova. Following the trial of her killer – her husband – thousands of people took part in peaceful marches across Kazakhstan and around the world.

The public’s calls for stronger protections galvanized civil society and government leaders. Stakeholders gathered to address the need for systemic change. And through partnerships, advocacy and dialogue, “UN Women worked to ensure that domestic violence is treated not as a private matter but as a serious human rights violation, warranting legal accountability and State responsibility,” says Amrisheva.

In April 2024, the country passed a law that reinstated criminal penalties for acts of domestic violence.

Kazakhstan’s landmark Law on Strengthening Women’s Rights and Safety of Children has introduced specialized teams to respond to domestic violence calls, which include police officers, psychologists and social workers. 

The law extends the arrest periods of perpetrators, imposes criminal penalties for repeat offenders and empowers police to initiate cases without a formal statement from the survivor. This means that video records or witness accounts, such as reports from neighbors, can now trigger official action. 

“Police work has become more proactive,” says Lieutenant Colonel Gulmira Shrakhmetova, who leads the Astana Police Department’s Domestic Violence Unit in the nation’s capital. “We no longer limit our work to punishing the perpetrator.” Supporting survivors and protecting witnesses is now understood to be equally critical parts of their work.

The number of officers in the city’s domestic violence unit has also increased sixfold – most of them women. “Trust in the system is growing,” says Lt. Col. Shrakhmetova, pointing to an increase in calls to the police, as well.

Ryl recalls being in court, in 2018, as a survivor described being beaten by her partner. Even after he broke her nose, the court issued only a warning. “He walked out like a hero,” Ryl says. “Under the new law, the minimum punishment is 10 days’ arrest – a step forward, but not enough.” 

Despite legislative progress, systemic challenges still hinder the fight against domestic violence in Kazakhstan. Ryl and Lt. Col. Shrakhmetova point to societal problems, social pressures and economic dependence as major barriers to change.

For many years, UN Women has played a critical and collaborative role, coordinating UN recommendations for stronger national legislation, as well as education campaigns. This includes sharing expertise – through regional workshops and trainings – to build better support systems for survivors.

With support from the Spotlight Initiative, the Government of Kazakhstan and the European Union, UN Women has helped launch:

• the Kazakh docudrama, You Are Not Alone, part of the 16 Days for Global Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign
• Gorgon, a documentary on sexual violence in Kazakhstan
• the Central Asian Alliance to End Gender-Based Violence, to strengthen regional cooperation 
• the Virtual Knowledge Platform to End Gender-Based Violence in Central Asia and Afghanistan, to promote best practices
• HeForShe Central Asia, which engages men in challenging gender stereotypes
• the #HearHerStory initiative, which amplifies the voices of survivors and educates the public on the signs of domestic abuse

Those who work to end gender-based violence every day need support, too. “Recognizing their role, we support policewomen who are on the front lines and very often face burnout,” says Amrisheva. In June, UN Women organized an art therapy session for officers in Lt. Col. Shrakhmetova’s unit as part of the Kazakhstan Without Domestic Violence campaign.

Ending gender-based violence is central to UN Women’s mission – and vital to the global push for gender equality and rights for all women and girls. 

In another major step taken just this month, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a new law introducing criminal liability for stalking and forced marriage. These protections reaffirm Kazakhstan’s commitment to addressing all forms of violence and aligning with international human rights standards.  

Lt. Col. Shrakhmetova notes another promising sign: in Astana, repeat domestic violence offenses dropped by 27 per cent in the first quarter of 2025. “The law gives us tools. But implementation is everything.”