Rural

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Rural Indigenous Women Speak Out
Olga Djanaeva RIW TF, APWLD Kyrgyzstan
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The Kyrgyz Republic is a small country in Central
Asia. It is bordered on one side by the Himalayas
and China and the other sides by three other
land-locked former republics of the USSR
(Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan).
Poverty rate (46.2, of which 9.9 - very poor)
in rural areas is higher than in urban areas
(26.6). Vulnerable rural women (divorced, poor,
single, young families) are in the most difficult
situation. Rising unemployment in the conditions
of economic reforms and changes in the labour
market has particularly affected rural young
women from 18 to 35 years old who were forced to
leave villages in search of work.
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Rural women working in institutions are mainly
employed by public sector with low wages, by
education and health institutions. In the face of
acute unemployment in rural areas, women value
even such a low-paying work.
Women have less access to funds and agricultural
funds and resources. Because of the traditional
stereotypes, even as the heads of households,
they are less likely to own land and real estate,
livestock and agricultural machinery.
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Social environment does not respond to women as
to independent economic agents and often hampers
their efforts. Women are in worse off conditions
than men in gaining access to agricultural
services. The situation is complicated by
lacking/poor quality agricultural services and
expensive, bureaucratic application procedures.
Country has no social support programs for the
most vulnerable women - divorced, widowed,
single, and rural women with many children.
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In general, the enforcement of preventing and
combating violence against women and girls in
general is negative and traditional there exists
the law, but in practice the rules are rarely
applied.

While noting improvements in the collection and
publication of official statistics on crimes
against women and children and family violence,
it must be also noted that the published
information does not reflect the real situation.
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According to MDG-5, the maternal mortality rate
should decrease by 3/4, or from 45.5 per 100
thousand of live births in 2000 to 11.4 per 100
thousand of life births in 2015. Instead, the
maternal mortality has been increasing from 2001
to 2005 from 49.9 to 61.0 per 100 thousand of
live births, and in 2006 it was 55.5 per 100
thousand of live births.
A number of developed and laid on paper
strategies and policies relevant to maternal
health were and are lacking real and consistent
financial support from the state. Clearly, high
rates of maternal mortality are linked to a poor
response by the state to the issues of maternal
care and to a lack of awareness by the population
about critical conditions during pregnancy.
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• Amongst the reasons for high mortality rates are
• Poor health of pregnant women (high rates of
  anemia and pathologies of uro-genital system
  leading to bleeding and eclampsia)
• Low quality of medical services despite a high
  coverage by care (98 of deliveries take place
  in the presence of qualified staff)
• Disproportionate distribution of medical
  specialist between regions
• Unsatisfactory healthcare system structure and
  infrastructural problems 485 small settlements
  lack medical facilities, 70 villages do not have
  pharmacies
• 75 of family group practices and
  feldsher-obstetric points do not answer
  requirements due to a lack of medical equipment
  and instruments, and labs
• Existing difficulties with material and
  communication basis (transportation, fuel,
  telephones, electric power and water).

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Thank you for attention !