ASTANA – The state does not interfere in family matters and is committed to protecting a child’s rights when their life and health are at risk, said Kazakh Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva in an April 15 video posted on her Facebook page. She was commenting on the new law aimed at ensuring the rights of women and the safety of children.
Kazakh Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva. Photo credit: gov.kz
“The state policy is aimed, first of all, at preserving the family, raising a child in the family, and the priority role of parents in raising children. Mother and child, the protection of their rights is the highest priority for the state and society,” Balayeva wrote.
State Counselor Erlan Karin highlighted in his Telegram post that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has persistently advocated for the protection of women’s and children’s rights from the very beginning of his presidency.
Erlan Karin. Photo credit: Karin’s Instagram archive
“Over these years, a system of comprehensive measures to combat domestic violence has been gradually built and the current law completes the legal framework for preventing domestic abuse,” he wrote.
Karin stressed the imperative of creating a society with zero tolerance for aggression in any form and cultivating the values of mutual respect and a friendly attitude toward other people.
KazISS Director Yerkin Tukumov noted in an interview with Kazinform news agency that this law is going to transform society.
“I believe that this is not just an ordinary law, this is one of the laws that, as a whole, will change our society for the long term. Such laws could not be adopted in conditions where neither society nor the government were ready for this. We see many other examples in different countries where patriarchal norms persist. Only now our public opinion has matured and the authorities are moving to consider and approve significant laws for the nation,” noted Tukumov.
