Jointly with the civil society representatives from Kazakhstan, ECOM has submitted a shadow report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in Kazakhstan. CEDAW is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Kazakhstan was reviewed by the CEDAW Committee in the 74th CEDAW Session from 21 October – 8 November 2019.
In particular, the report tackles issues concerning trans women, such as the absence of non-discrimination legislative framework, a mandatory sex reassignment surgery as a criteria necessary to undergo the legal gender reassignment procedure, the necessity to adapt Kazakhstan’s healthcare policies and national HIV programme to the needs of trans women, as well as sexual orientation and gender identity not being identified as protected grounds that construe aggravating circumstances, if they are the motive for committing a crime.
ECOM’s Program Officer, Erika Tšerkašina, has attended the state review and relevant non-formal meetings in order to advocate for state compliance with international human rights standards in respect to trans women in Kazakhstan.
The Committee members welcomed ECOM’s recommendations and put forward respective questions to the delegation of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The state review recording can be viewed via following links: part 1, part 2.
A full list of final recommendations from the CEDAW Committee for the Republic of Kazakhstan and other relevant documents will be available via this link.