LEGAL FRAMEWORKS FOR COMBATING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN KAZAKHSTAN: ANALYSING EFFECTIVENESS AND IMPLEMENTATION GAPS
1. Introduction. – 2. Literature Review. – 3. Methods. – 4. Findings and Discussion. – 4.1. Key Legislative Frameworks. – 4.1.1. Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence (2009). –4.1.2. Concept of Family and Gender Policy Until 2030. – 4.1.3. Law on Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts (2024). – 4.2. Access to Justice for Victims of Violence against Women in Kazakhstan – 5. Conclusion.
Background:
The legislative framework pertaining to violence against women (VAW) in Kazakhstan has undergone significant modifications in recent years, reflecting a growing recognition of the significance of comprehensive approaches to address this widespread issue. Although legal frameworks have been established to protect victims and prevent violence, challenges remain in their implementation and effectiveness. This study aims to analyse VAW legislation in Kazakhstan, examining its strengths and weaknesses, as well as its impact on victim protection and the wider social context.
Methods:
The study employs documentary analysis to analyse key legislation and policy documents, including the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the Concept of Family and Gender Policy until 2030. Recurring themes, legislative gaps, and obstacles in their implementation were uncovered through a systematic content analysis approach.
Results and Conclusions:
The results reveal that, though the legal instruments in Kazakhstan provide the necessary protection for victims, there are still significant challenges regarding inconsistent enforcement, limited access to support services, and deep-rooted cultural attitudes toward VAW. Access to justice for survivors of VAW remains a key issue in Kazakhstan due to significant gaps in legal protections and resources, especially in rural areas, which hinder the effective pursuit of justice. The analysis highlights the need for a more victim-centred approach, addressing the causes of VAW, and stresses that public awareness and education have a considerable impact on changing society's perception. The study concludes that despite positive developments in legislation, the application of laws against VAW in Kazakhstan suffers from improper mechanisms for implementation and support mechanisms. Therefore, there is a pressing need for increased enforcement, funding for support services, and dedication to cultural transformation. By addressing these issues, Kazakhstan can foster a safer environment.
The legislative framework pertaining to violence against women (VAW) in Kazakhstan has undergone significant modifications in recent years, reflecting a growing recognition of the significance of comprehensive approaches to address this widespread issue. Although legal frameworks have been established to protect victims and prevent violence, challenges remain in their implementation and effectiveness. This study aims to analyse VAW legislation in Kazakhstan, examining its strengths and weaknesses, as well as its impact on victim protection and the wider social context.
Methods:
The study employs documentary analysis to analyse key legislation and policy documents, including the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the Concept of Family and Gender Policy until 2030. Recurring themes, legislative gaps, and obstacles in their implementation were uncovered through a systematic content analysis approach.
Results and Conclusions:
The results reveal that, though the legal instruments in Kazakhstan provide the necessary protection for victims, there are still significant challenges regarding inconsistent enforcement, limited access to support services, and deep-rooted cultural attitudes toward VAW. Access to justice for survivors of VAW remains a key issue in Kazakhstan due to significant gaps in legal protections and resources, especially in rural areas, which hinder the effective pursuit of justice. The analysis highlights the need for a more victim-centred approach, addressing the causes of VAW, and stresses that public awareness and education have a considerable impact on changing society's perception. The study concludes that despite positive developments in legislation, the application of laws against VAW in Kazakhstan suffers from improper mechanisms for implementation and support mechanisms. Therefore, there is a pressing need for increased enforcement, funding for support services, and dedication to cultural transformation. By addressing these issues, Kazakhstan can foster a safer environment.
Abstract
Background:
The legislative framework pertaining to violence against women (VAW) in Kazakhstan has undergone significant modifications in recent years, reflecting a growing recognition of the significance of comprehensive approaches to address this widespread issue. Although legal frameworks have been established to protect victims and prevent violence, challenges remain in their implementation and effectiveness. This study aims to analyse VAW legislation in Kazakhstan, examining its strengths and weaknesses, as well as its impact on victim protection and the wider social context.
Methods:
The study employs documentary analysis to analyse key legislation and policy documents, including the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the Concept of Family and Gender Policy until 2030. Recurring themes, legislative gaps, and obstacles in their implementation were uncovered through a systematic content analysis approach.
Results and Conclusions:
The results reveal that, though the legal instruments in Kazakhstan provide the necessary protection for victims, there are still significant challenges regarding inconsistent enforcement, limited access to support services, and deep-rooted cultural attitudes toward VAW. Access to justice for survivors of VAW remains a key issue in Kazakhstan due to significant gaps in legal protections and resources, especially in rural areas, which hinder the effective pursuit of justice. The analysis highlights the need for a more victim-centred approach, addressing the causes of VAW, and stresses that public awareness and education have a considerable impact on changing society's perception. The study concludes that despite positive developments in legislation, the application of laws against VAW in Kazakhstan suffers from improper mechanisms for implementation and support mechanisms. Therefore, there is a pressing need for increased enforcement, funding for support services, and dedication to cultural transformation. By addressing these issues, Kazakhstan can foster a safer environment.
The legislative framework pertaining to violence against women (VAW) in Kazakhstan has undergone significant modifications in recent years, reflecting a growing recognition of the significance of comprehensive approaches to address this widespread issue. Although legal frameworks have been established to protect victims and prevent violence, challenges remain in their implementation and effectiveness. This study aims to analyse VAW legislation in Kazakhstan, examining its strengths and weaknesses, as well as its impact on victim protection and the wider social context.
Methods:
The study employs documentary analysis to analyse key legislation and policy documents, including the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the Concept of Family and Gender Policy until 2030. Recurring themes, legislative gaps, and obstacles in their implementation were uncovered through a systematic content analysis approach.
Results and Conclusions:
The results reveal that, though the legal instruments in Kazakhstan provide the necessary protection for victims, there are still significant challenges regarding inconsistent enforcement, limited access to support services, and deep-rooted cultural attitudes toward VAW. Access to justice for survivors of VAW remains a key issue in Kazakhstan due to significant gaps in legal protections and resources, especially in rural areas, which hinder the effective pursuit of justice. The analysis highlights the need for a more victim-centred approach, addressing the causes of VAW, and stresses that public awareness and education have a considerable impact on changing society's perception. The study concludes that despite positive developments in legislation, the application of laws against VAW in Kazakhstan suffers from improper mechanisms for implementation and support mechanisms. Therefore, there is a pressing need for increased enforcement, funding for support services, and dedication to cultural transformation. By addressing these issues, Kazakhstan can foster a safer environment.
About Authors
Akmaral Turarbekova
PhD Candidate, Faculty of Law, L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan
turarbekova_a@enu.kz
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8398-2946
Co-author, responsible for conceptualization, supervision, methodology, data curation, investigation, writing-original draft, writing – review and editing.
Aiman Mytalyapova
PhD (Law), School of Business, Law and Education, Kazakh-American Free University, Kazakhstan
750113402161@edu.kz
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1427-7130
Co-author, responsible for investigation, methodology, writing-original draft.
Serik Sabitov
PhD (Law), Faculty of Law, Alikhan Bokeikhan University, Kazakhstan
law@abu.edu.kz
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9832-8570
Co-author, responsible for investigation, formal analysis, writing-original draft.
Nagima Kala
PhD (Law), Faculty of Law, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan
nagima.kala@enu.kz
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2685-7606
Co-author, responsible for investigation, methodology, writing-original draft.
Venera Balmagambetova
PhD (Law), Faculty of Law, Aktobe University named after S. Baishev, Kazakhstan
v_balmagambetova@bu.edu.kz
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2729-4208
Co-author, responsible for conceptualization, data curation, investigation, writing-original draft.
Bakhyt Altynbassov
PhD (Law), Faculty of Law, L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan
gr19948@bristol.ac.uk
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4142-4315
Corresponding author, responsible for conceptualization, formal analysis, project administration, validation, writing-original draft, writing – review and editing.
Competing interests: No competing interests were disclosed.
Disclaimer: The authors declare that their opinion and views expressed in this manuscript are free of any impact of any organizations.
Copyright: © 2025 Akmaral Turarbekova, Aiman Mytalyapova, Serik Sabitov, Nagima Kala, Venera Balmagambetova and Bakhyt Altynbassov. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
PhD Candidate, Faculty of Law, L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan
turarbekova_a@enu.kz
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8398-2946
Co-author, responsible for conceptualization, supervision, methodology, data curation, investigation, writing-original draft, writing – review and editing.
Aiman Mytalyapova
PhD (Law), School of Business, Law and Education, Kazakh-American Free University, Kazakhstan
750113402161@edu.kz
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1427-7130
Co-author, responsible for investigation, methodology, writing-original draft.
Serik Sabitov
PhD (Law), Faculty of Law, Alikhan Bokeikhan University, Kazakhstan
law@abu.edu.kz
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9832-8570
Co-author, responsible for investigation, formal analysis, writing-original draft.
Nagima Kala
PhD (Law), Faculty of Law, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan
nagima.kala@enu.kz
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2685-7606
Co-author, responsible for investigation, methodology, writing-original draft.
Venera Balmagambetova
PhD (Law), Faculty of Law, Aktobe University named after S. Baishev, Kazakhstan
v_balmagambetova@bu.edu.kz
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2729-4208
Co-author, responsible for conceptualization, data curation, investigation, writing-original draft.
Bakhyt Altynbassov
PhD (Law), Faculty of Law, L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan
gr19948@bristol.ac.uk
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4142-4315
Corresponding author, responsible for conceptualization, formal analysis, project administration, validation, writing-original draft, writing – review and editing.
Competing interests: No competing interests were disclosed.
Disclaimer: The authors declare that their opinion and views expressed in this manuscript are free of any impact of any organizations.
Copyright: © 2025 Akmaral Turarbekova, Aiman Mytalyapova, Serik Sabitov, Nagima Kala, Venera Balmagambetova and Bakhyt Altynbassov. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
References
1. Anderson JN, ‘Effects of Education on Victims of Domestic Violence’ (Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies, Walden University 2015) 345
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Turarbekova A, Mytalyapova A, Sabitov S, Kala N, Balmagambetova V and Altynbassov B, ‘Legal Frameworks for Combating Violence Against Women in Kazakhstan: Analyzing Effectiveness and Implementation Gaps’ (2025) 8(1) Access to Justice in Eastern Europe 264-84
DOI https://doi.org/10.33327/AJEE-18-8.1-a000119
