Will the girls' dream vanish after they get married?
1 out of 8 girls get married earlier than 18 years of age in Kyrgyzstan.
Here is the kidnapped girl's message - she couldn't realize her dream after the marriage.
AINAGUL ZUNDUEVA
After graduating from the university I also wanted to work at the office. I was dreaming a lot about it. During my university years, I was thinking of becoming a teacher, because my main goal was to get a Master's Degree.
Ainagul Zundueva is a resident of Kun-Elek village of Alai rayon. At school she did very well, and then she entered the university. During her student years she always took part in different activities and won main prizes.
Her long-awaited dream had vanished.
However, her dream was not realized, as she was kidnapped by a guy from the neighbor village. Since she had to deal with household, it was impossible to proceed with the studies. That is why her long-awaited dream had vanished.
According to Statistic Committee data on females and males among Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), 20 percent of married women in Kyrgyzstan have been kidnapped. 6 percent of 20 percent have been forced to get married. Kidnapping happens twice more in villages than in towns.
According to the data of Statistic Committee of females and males among Commonwealth of Independent States, 12.7 percent of females get married earlier than 18. It contradicts the law of Kyrgyzstan, according to which the minimum age of marriage is 18 years. Most of those girls don't even finish the high school.
IN KYRGYZSTAN 12.7 PERCENT OF GIRLS GET MARRIED BEFORE 18 YEARS. IT MEANS THAT MOST OF THEM EVEN COULD NOT FINISH THE SCHOOL. BUT ARE THEY READY TO GET MARRIED?
According to the statistics of the Ministry of Interior, the number of kidnapping and forced marriage facts decreased last year. For instance, in 2011 there were registered35 statements registered of kidnapping and forced marriages and in 2015 - only 2. Besides, in 2014 the number of kidnapping and forced marriages was 33, but in 2015 it was less than 10 cases.
Tumonbai Koldoshov says that at the universities and colleges the level of knowledge of female students becomes lower after marriage. Before marriage most of the potential female students study well and take part in different activities. But after marriage all these issues become less important for them.
Because of kidnapping most of the well-educated female students marry uneducated guys. Their points of view do not correspond to each other's. Then she gives a birth and in that way the life goes on, but at the same time the spouses do not satisfy each other and certain conflicts happen between them.
Tumonbai Koldoshov
Associate professor, Vice-rector of Osh State University for social and educational activities.
During the student years, female students are especially active. When they are in their first and second years they participate in various events. In this way they can display their knowledge and talent, and thus their teachers become aware of their abilities
Also after female students' marriage teachers take into account the female students' abilities and give marks according to their activity. For example, during the progress tests a student who lives with her mother-in-law and father-in-law cannot study well. The main reason is that she has to deal with family issues and household: she has to wake up early, prepare breakfast, wash the dishes, etc. And if they have children, their problems will double. So year by year it becomes harder to pay attention to the academic studies. In that situation teachers take into account student's effort that had been demonstrated before marriage and help them to graduate from the university. In this case we can talk of support of teachers.
Tumonbai Koldoshov
Associate professor, Vice-rector of Osh State University for social and educational activities.
Source: Osh State University
As for the quality of education, Osh State University is one of the largest and best universities in Kyrgyzstan. In 2016-2017 academic year 308 students of this university had graduated with cum laude diplomas which makes 12 percent of all the graduates from this university. Among them were 272 female students and only 36 male students. As statistics shows, female students graduated from the university with honors 7 times more than male students.
Female students graduated from the university with honors 7 times more than male students
Source: Osh State University
Zhamilia Kaparova is a Director of Public Association of "Ensan-Diamond".
This public association protects abused women and girls. Besides, they educate women to know about their rights. According to Kaparova, it is hard for a married women to study and at the same time to deal with household. If there are enough opportunities to study before marriage, it becomes harder for girls to realize their dreams after marriage.
Today women study well, women take care of their husbands, and if there are children in the family, women bring them up. They even help their mothers-in-law and fathers-in-law. That is why it is hard for them to study well. In such kind of situations their academic grades become worse or they become bad brides.
Zhamilia Kaparova
Director of Public Association of "Ensan-Diamond"
According to the Global Gender Gap Report, there are more female students than male students at colleges and universities. At the same time, if most of the male students cannot continue their studies because of the hardships in their family, the main reason for females to drop out of studies is marriage.
Esenbaeva says that nowadays there are a lot of educated women. Moreover, most of them need relatives' help to implement their plans. Also, local mentality and environment plays a great role. If they have serious goals, then they can overcome all the obstacles.
Esenbaeva says that nowadays there are a lot of educated women. Moreover, most of them need relatives' help to implement their plans. Also, local mentality and environment plays a great role. If they have serious goals, then they can overcome all the obstacles.
Everything depends on you. We shouldn't look for reasons. If one has strong aim in his or her future, he or she can achieve much. Even bride's mother-in-law and farther-in-law cannot stop her. Also, if there is good result of her effort, then everybody will support her. I witnessed such kind of situation. My life was also unusual. 20 years ago I got evolved in politics. And I could protest to ex-president Akaev's regime.
Gulsana Esenbaeva
Deputy of Osh council
One of the main reasons of inability of self-development is inequality in couples' viewpoints.
Besides, their mental outlook plays a great role to unite the family. Data shows that, nowadays there are more female students than male students at the universities. And there is a big difference between educated girls and illiterate boys if they become a couple. In addition, Gulsana says that one of the main reasons of inability of self-development is inequality in couples' viewpoints.
Inequality of couples' viewpoints is a pity. If their literacy level is equal, then they can solve all their problems. But if one of them is illiterate, then it is hard for couples to live happily. In order to understand each other better, each of them should be able to find the common language. That is why both of them should be educated.
Gulsana Esenbaeva
Deputy of Osh council
Gulsana Esenbaeva
"An educated person always has an advantage. If one can realize his or her power, then he or she can make contribution for the sake of the country. For this he or she should work hard."
If a young girl is educated and she is ready to proceed, what has she to do with her knowledge? That is why she has to think about self-development. Only labor can make us happy. As for me, I was born during the Soviet Union. At that time I could work and I brought up children, so I was successful in each sphere. Everything went well.
Gulsana Esenbaeva
Deputy of Osh council
Political empowerment
According to the law the percent of women who work at the government has to be 30 percent. But nowadays this policy does not work, because there are some ways to avoid the law. For example: in parties' list 30 percent of deputy candidates should be women but these issues are solved by the head of the party.
Women at the parlament has to be at least 30%
Zhogorku Kenesh
There were leader women in the list, but the head of the politician parties made an agreement to get them a deputy mandate and let them work for some limited time. After that women deputies had to give their mandates to other men. In this way some politicians used them during the agitation process campaigning to win the election. Because, most women have no money, so they made such agreement. For example, in this case the leader of a certain party includes in his party list a lot of well-known female leaders, then after the electiona the leader of the fraction again asks women's mandates. Moreover, 10 years ago, in 2007 there was at least one female vice-mayor in Osh city. It was a tradition. For instance; one vice-mayor who is in charge of social issues was women. From 2010 this tradition changed and nowadays there are no women in the government of Osh city. When we asked about this issue, we found out that only the fraction leaders can tackle such kind of questions. For example, fractions as "KSDP", "Birbol", "Respublica – Ata-Zhurt" choose for a position one of the candidates from their fraction.
Gulgaky Mamasalieva
Expert of political empowerment of women
After marriage most of the women cannot implement their ideas.
Gulgaky Mamasalieva deals with political empowerment of women in Osh. Mamasalieva says that in all spheres women need special attitude. For instance, in most cases they consider women and men equal. At the same time, there are more men with leadership skills than women. And according to expert, it is because after marriage most of the women cannot implement their ideas.
After marriage women have to care about their family, so they do not make an effort to be leaders. Moreover, because of migration most of the girls and brides have to look after their sisters and brothers. For example, if parents go abroad to work, then in that family only their girl is in charge of the household.
Gulgaky Mamasalieva
Expert of political empowerment of women
Religion in the lives of Muslim women
Expert of religion Aby uulu Davudbek says that we have to deeply understand religious aspect in the life of Muslim women. According to Davudbek, nowadays most of the religious people are not aware of the life of Muslim women in religion. That is why they do not know about prophet's messages and make wrong decisions. At the end, illiterate religious people consider women lower than men.
If there is anything against religion, then prophet Muhammed would order Hadicha (wife of prophet Muhammed s.v.a.) to stay at home. So Hadicha always economically and morally supported prophet Muhammed. And till the end of her life she stayed with him. All these issues concerns everyone who is willing to convert to Islam. According to Islam religion, if the girl or wife wants to be educated, then instead of stopping, men must help and support her.
Aby uulu Davudbek
Expert of religion
According to the expert of religion Aby uulu Davudbek, sometimes there happens some controversial cases regarding religion. In that situation men have to support women. Also it is important to create conditions to women to improve their skills.
There are a lot of talented women. Instead of being obstacle to them, we have to support them. Our prophet Muhammed talked a lot about supporting women. Even his last call was also about good attitude to women.
Aby uulu Davudbek
Expert of religion
Zhamilia Kaparova says that there is big difference between educated girls and illiterate boys. As, there is saying "Birds of a feather", educated girls look for the guys of the same level as their husband.
If illiterate guy kidnaps an educated girl, then after marriage most girls cannot continue their studies. Because, her mother-in-law and father-in-law says that "Our son didn't study at the university and you also don't need to study". Also they say that after marriage bride has to look after her children, take care of the family, etc. And very few men consider that educated women can bring up smart children, so such kind of guys try to marry to educated girl.
Zhamilia Kaparova
Director of Public Association of "Ensan-Diamond"
There is also one issue of girls who are at the marriage age. This is to prepare to get married.
There is also one issue of girls who are at the marriage age. This is to prepare to get married. As according to local mentality girls who are at the marriage age have to get married.
Almost each girl studies well. They also try to be active and get elected as presidents of the school. At the university they even study well till the first, second and third course. They take part in different cultural events. But once at the age of 21 or 22 their mother says again and again to their daughters that it is time to get married. It is a proper age to get married. Parents do not want their daughter to be single after 21 or 22. That is why they say something that "if there is good guy, then you have to marry to him. Do not worry about your education; we will help you to graduate from the university." We have to get rid of such habits.
Zhamilia Kaparova
Director of Public Association of "Ensan-Diamond"
National Statistics data shows, that the average age of marriage for men is 28 years and for women 24 years in Kyrgyzstan. For the last 10 years these numbers didn't change.
In 2000 the average age of marriage for men was 27 years and for women it was 23 years.
Besides, usually couples get married at the age of 22-29.
Experts say that because of the university degrees and career young people are gradually getting married later in life.
In 2000 the average age of marriage for men was 27 years and for women it was 23 years.
Besides, usually couples get married at the age of 22-29.
Experts say that because of the university degrees and career young people are gradually getting married later in life.
Nowadays in Kyrgyzstan the average age of marriage for women is 22. If we can move it till 25-26 years, then girls can graduate from the university, get some experience in life. After that they can get married.
Zhamilia Kaparova
Director of Public Association of "Ensan-Diamond"
How should we treat women?
Women's right should be equal with men even in religious families. So we should take into consideration their place in society, at the work and in the family.
Zhamilia Kaparova
Director of Public Association of "Ensan-Diamond"
Aby uulu Davudbek:
"80 percent of population in Kyrgyzstan is Muslim. Because of misunderstanding of some points in Islam religion we meet a lot of problems. One of them is how to treat women. For example, instead of supporting some talented women, we put obstacles in their way. And it contradicts the religion."
For example, most men do not permit their wife to work among men. In that situation each husband should find other options and help his own wife. So what kind of options we should find? For instance, Muhammed prophet's wife Hadicha was one of the richest women in Mecca (Saud Arabia). So she was successful business lady. After becoming a prophet, Muhammed did not stop her. In this way we, as men have to create conditions for women. And there is also the question of education. Prophet Muhammed said that both women and men should study till the end of her or his life. Muhammed addressed both to women and men. In addition, we must think about our children, who are brought up by mothers. That is why, women should study first should, then they can teach their children.
Aby uulu Davudbek
Expert of religion
From the ancient times the Kyrgyz people did not stay at home. There are a lot of well-known Kyrgyz women as Zhanyl Myrza, Urkuya Salieva, Kurmanzhan Datka, and others. So, did they stay at home? They were great leaders, showed their talent, potential, etc. Even when a woman gives a birth, she can deal with family and social work. If the woman is talented, then we should protect and support her. With our support women can develop further.
Gulsana Esenbaeva
Deputy of Osh council
By Nyiaz Tashmatov
