OSCE workshop discusses measures to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in Turkmenistan

Findings and recommendations from an assessment of the need for the prevention of and response to gender-based and domestic violence were discussed at an OSCE-organized workshop that took place on 18 and 19 November 2024 in Ashgabat.

The needs assessment is being conducted by Malin Palm, a gender expert from Sweden, as the second part of the extra-budgetary project “Supporting Strengthened Mechanisms for the Prevention of, and Response to, Gender-Based Violence, including Domestic Violence” implemented by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat with support from the governments of Norway and the USA. The first part of the project was an independent evaluation of the Centre’s long-running project on domestic violence.

The expert presented preliminary findings of the needs assessment and outlined possible recommendations on how the OSCE and other stakeholders can scale up efforts and more effectively prevent and respond to gender-based and domestic violence in a three-five year timeframe.

“Gender-based violence is a global phenomenon that transcends borders, cultures, and socio-economic status,” said John MacGregor, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “It weakens the very fabric of our societies by perpetuating inequality, fear, and discrimination.”

“We organized this workshop to discuss how we can practically implement our commitment to create safe environments where justice is served, and where support systems for survivors are strengthened,” stressed MacGregor.

The seminar reflected on the theory of change in the context of gender-based violence and explored new areas of work, including response to Internet violence and behaviour change programmes for perpetrators of domestic violence.

The seminar brought together representatives of the Mejlis (parliament), Office of the Ombudsperson, Institute of State, Law and Democracy, law-enforcement bodies, competent ministries, public organizations and other relevant institutions.