President of Kyrgyzstan Signs on to UNiTE Campaign
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev signed on to the Secretary-General's UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign, committing to make ending violence against women and girls in Kyrgyzstan a top priority. (photo: UN/Vladimir Pirogov)
3 April 2010
During a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Bishkek on 3 April, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kurmanbek Bakiev, signed on to the Secretary-General's UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign, committing to make ending violence against women and girls in Kyrgyzstan a top priority.
Ban Ki-moon welcomed Bakiev’s signature. “If you give a woman power and respect, she will take decisions that benefit her family, and society as a whole,” said the Secretary-General at the signing ceremony. “But we all know that women are all too often subjected to horrific abuse and violence, around the world. No country is immune. Therefore, let us reaffirm our respect for women's human rights, let us invest more resources in countering this violence and let us do all it takes to end these horrific crimes.”
Under the slogan “It’s time to act!” the UNiTE campaign was formally launched in Kyrgyzstan on the occasion of International Women’s Day on 8 March, with a focus on awareness-raising and social mobilization. As part of the campaign, the President of Kyrgyzstan, Parliamentarians and other influential members of society signed on to UNIFEM’s Say NO – UNiTE call for action, including the Speaker of the Parliament, Zainidin Kurmanov, Vice Speaker Cholpon Baekova, the Minister of Labour, Employment and Migration, Aigul Ryskulova, and the Deputy Chair of the Supreme Court, Kalima Aknazarova.
For more information, please contact Anastasia Divinskaya, Gender Advisor, UNIFEM Project Office in Kyrgyzstan, anastasia.divinskaya[at]unifem.org.
