Linked with Byubyusara Ryskulova -Kyrgyzstan, and with Kyrgyzstan, Domestic Violence, Tradition Or Crime?
The Crisis Psychological Center for Women and Families Sezim was founded in January 1998 in Bishkek. The aim of the organization is the assistance and psychological rehabilitation of abused women, protection (judicial, social, economic) rights of women and families, researching and analyzing problems of violence in the Kyrgyz society, and education of rights. The tasks are to prepare guidelines for additional crisis centers throughout Kyrgyzstan, and organize services and programs that will help to solve the problems of violence, prevention of violence and protection of human rights. Volunteers will be trained to operate hot lines in Russian and Kyrgyz languages.
Contact:
Bishkek: Sovetskay str. 105/3 #23, Tel 28 14 55, e-mail.
Sokuluk: St.Pionerskay 103, Tel.(0 31 34) 4 18 79.
Trust Hot Line: The hot line is available for callers seven days a week, 24 hours a day. All participants of Sezim’s activities called the hot line when they were in a crisis situation.
Club for Elderly Women, « My Years are My Wealth »: There are 50 women involved in the Club for Elderly Women who have financial and emotional problems. They have no family or government financial or moral supports and feel very isolated. If they are able, they gather at the Center once a week where they engage in conversation and activities, and get assistance with their problems. Sezim members also go to elderly women in their homes, visit with them, and assist them with their home chores. Sometimes Sezim members go with the women to court to help them as a public defender.
Individual and Family Counseling: The psychiatrist, psychologist, and five consultants provided counseling on the phone and in person every week. Sezim’s lawyer assists women with judicial questions and problems, and provide advice concerning the protection of their rights. Confidential records were kept when women and their families came to the Center; the average number of consultations at the Center were 60 per month.
Psychological Group Counseling and Training: The psychiatrist, psychologist, and five consultants provided counseling on the phone and in person every week. Sezim’s lawyer assists women with judicial questions and problems, and provide advice concerning the protection of their rights. Confidential records were kept when women and their families came to the Center; the average number of consultations at the Center were 60 per month.
Creative Therapy: The creative therapy groups meet once a week (four times a month, usually on Friday or Saturday). Five to eight women attended per workshop and benefited from the group.
« Sayaban »: Sezim printed information (mainly for and about women’s rights) for bulletins in the Kyrgyz language and published five bulletins about human rights and other aspects of women’s lives . The bulletins were distributed to villages via their representatives who meet in Bishkek on a monthly basis. They contained information about Sezim, their activities, and information about kinds of domestic violence and how women can defend themselves. Sezim filmed two short video movies, placard on the problems of domestic violence.
The Legal Center in Sokuluk:
On May 26, 1999, Sezim opened an affiliate office in Sokuluk, the rayon’s center for the population of the villages of Sokuluk rayon. The Legal Center in Sokuluk is supported by Soros-Kyrgyzstan.