Ending domestic violence in Kazakhstan: stories from survivors and allies

Kazakhstan’s landmark Law on Strengthening Women’s Rights and Safety of Children has introduced specialized teams to respond to domestic violence calls, which include police officers, psychologists and social workers. 

The law extends the arrest periods of perpetrators, imposes criminal penalties for repeat offenders and empowers police to initiate cases without a formal statement from the survivor. This means that video records or witness accounts, such as reports from neighbors, can now trigger official action. 

“Police work has become more proactive,” says Lieutenant Colonel Gulmira Shrakhmetova, who leads the Astana Police Department’s Domestic Violence Unit in the nation’s capital. “We no longer limit our work to punishing the perpetrator.” Supporting survivors and protecting witnesses is now understood to be equally critical parts of their work.

The number of officers in the city’s domestic violence unit has also increased sixfold – most of them women. “Trust in the system is growing,” says Lt. Col. Shrakhmetova, pointing to an increase in calls to the police, as well.