During the previous UPR cycle, Tajikistan received 29 recommendations to strengthen and improve measures regarding women’s rights protection. From these recommendations, twelve of them related to preventing and eliminating violence against women, five of them addressed the need to eliminate deep-rooted stereotypes regarding women, two of them recommended the training of officials, such as law enforcement, medical personnel, and jurists, to ensure gender-sensitive treatment of survivors and five of the recommendations related to ensuring women have access to justice.
This submission outlines the challenges in the criminal justice system and the legislation of Tajikistan in addressing sexual violence crimes and provides recommendations for improving access to justice for sexual violence through improving legislation and criminal justice procedures. Developing effective criminal law mechanisms for the elimination of sexual violence is a fundamental step in achieving substantive and transformative equality for women and girls in Tajikistan.
Submitted by Equality Now, Public Fund “Your Choice”, and the League of Women with Disabilities “Ishtirok”.
In March 2022, Larisa Aleksandrova gave an oral statement to the 49th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council on the Adoption of Universal Periodic Review Outcomes of Tajikistan, on behalf of Equality Now, Public Fund “Your Choice” and “League of Women with Disabilities “Ishtirok”.