Fact and fiction about women’s life here.
Much information on the internet gives the impression that the life of women in Kyrgyzstan is still very archaic. ‘Bride kidnapping’ is supposedly the way for men to get a wife and as a young woman you can no longer walk the streets alone. Women are supposedly not allowed to travel without their husbands and are dependent on what the man allows in everything.
True, bride kidnapping – a relic from the nomadic era – still occurs. Sometimes it is arranged by both partners, sometimes for economic reasons. However, it is officially prohibited by law. There are, just like in other countries, men here who terrorize and abuse their wives. But in Kyrgyzstan you can also find “Keep Your Hands Off My Body” (safe) houses.
As Aisha’s story below shows, there is a big difference between life in the countryside and in the urban areas in Kyrgyzstan. Because there are almost no social services, you have to rely on your family and neighbours. Women and men have their own social network in which they work together and support each other. Kyrgyz women are generally strong women who hold their own. Although life in the mountain villages is harder than in the urban areas, this is changing more and more. This is happening more quickly now, and men and women are increasingly demanding the comfort and conveniences of a city-style life. The story below illustrates this.
From the life of a daughter-in-law in a mountain village in Kyrgyzstan.