Almaty opens up for a March 8 demonstration

For the first time, a public park was granted for a rally called by a social activist who, without radical tones, called for the defence of "the dignity of women's lives". Feminists were controversial: 'Refusals are made against some and approval is given to others'. President Tokaev presided over a women's forum in Astana.

Almaty (AsiaNews) - In a surprise move, at the last moment the Akimat (Municipality) of Almaty, the "southern capital" of Kazakhstan, approved a demonstration on the theme "For a dignified life for women!", after having rejected every proposal from local feminists, who in recent years had mobilized large crowds even against the wishes of the authorities. The rally was held on March 7, the eve of Women's Day, in the park named after Mahatma Gandhi in the center of the country's main metropolis.

It was a social activist, Bibinur Šeralieva, who summoned the women and the city population to the streets, who had not sided with the most radical movement in the defense of women's rights and found the right formula to receive the approval of the administration . The appeal to the gathering specifies that "we will be able to present the current problems of women in our society, and the requests necessary to defend the dignity of women's lives".

The program includes interventions on the rights of women and children in the conditions of divorce, with the related issues of alimony and maintenance of family members, and more generally we will talk about "family values and traditions", considering the high number of divorces in Kazakh society. It is essentially a compromise formula between claims and warnings about rights and duties to be respected.

Šeralieva directs the Rakhim social center, which presented the Isker Isi project for assistance to the most needy sections of the population, also insisting on work for women after the age of 50, when there are still 10 years left before retirement, and is connected to the ruling party Amanat, for which she also ran in the pre-election primaries. Feminists reacted with strong criticism, declaring that "some are rejected and others are approved, only to allow the regime to demonstrate who is in charge and decides the rules of the game."

As Ajgerim Kusajynkyzy, one of the organizers of the March 8 demonstrations denied by the authorities, comments, "they want to allow rallies only to their own Gongos [ironic acronym for non-state organizations organized by the State] to steal not only the spaces in the city parks, but even the trust of the citizens themselves... many do not understand the difference between us and these new animators, the Gongos are the slow death of democracy". According to Ajgerim "everyone must be able to talk about women's problems, but not with these methods".

Various groups of activists, not only female and not only in Almaty, are still looking for the possibility of taking to the streets to talk about "Freedom and security for Kazakh women", even after dozens of refusals by the authorities on the grounds of "possible threats to social stability". Since the beginning of February, individual or small group pickets have been held to ask for the possibility of demonstrating.

Kazakhstan's President, Kasym-Žomart Tokaev, sought to reduce tensions by chairing a “Women's Forum” in Astana, dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the National Commission for Women's Issues and Demographic Policy at Akorda, the presidential palace. The president of the commission and minister of culture, Aida Balaeva, moderated the Forum, ensuring that "we are playing a very important role to guarantee gender equality in Kazakhstan, to strengthen the institution of the family and the defense of motherhood and childhood" .

The secretary of the Amanat party, Šolpan Karinova, however admitted that "there are still problems in this sector of our society", placing emphasis on the reluctance of divorced fathers to pay alimony, and also on the debts of families who do not are able to pay in this phase of economic uncertainty. However, she assured that the party "has already presented some projects to raise the knowledge of the population in the legislative and financial fields", also underlining the importance of involving women more and more in politics, ensuring the quota of female candidates.