Globally, an estimated 736 million women have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life. For women and girls with disabilities, the risk of experiencing sexual violence is even higher.
According to research by the UN Population Fund Sexual & Reproductive Health Agency, between 40% and 68% of girls with disabilities experience sexual violence before the age of eighteen, including by family, intimate partners, caregivers and institutional facilities. Some women and girls, including those who are deaf or deafblind or who have intellectual disabilities, may be at particular risk due to isolation, dependency and oppression.
This report aims to identify and analyse some of the legal, procedural, and socio-cultural barriers to the prevention of sexual violence against women and girls with disabilities in Kyrgyzstan, as well as barriers affecting access to support and justice for survivors. It concludes with a series of recommendations designed to inform efforts by the government of Kyrgyzstan to overcome these barriers in line with its international human rights obligations.