The United Nations Development Program in Kazakhstan, together with the NU School of Sciences and Humanities, held a seminar for students on preventing discrimination and harassment in the universities of Kazakhstan on 18 November.
During the seminar, the UNDP and UN Women experts presented key policies and tools for creating a safe environment in higher education institutions. They also held joint discussions with the students of NU and Astana IT University about gender stereotypes and prejudices against women and men as the leading causes of gender inequality and violence against women and girls. The seminar participants also analyzed real cases of on-campus discrimination and harassment.
NU President Shigeo Katsu pointed out the importance of the seminar and its relevance not only for the academic community but also for society as a whole. “It is something that we all have to put our heads together and discuss. The worst thing is to pretend that this does not exist. Otherwise, we will never find any way out. It is important that we discuss and understand the problem, and also try to see how individuals and groups of women cope with this, developing coping strategies. It is important not only to look at the syndrome, but the cause too,” Shigeo Katsu told the students. He also expressed his gratitude to the UNDP and UN Women for the initiative.
According to the United Nations, there are nearly 1.3 billion survivors of sexual violence across the globe, and one in three women has experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. The Astana police department reported, they received over 14,000 domestic violence calls from all over the country since the beginning of this year.
“During the pandemic, domestic violence crimes increased 21%. The seminar’s agenda is very topical, especially for young people. We believe that creating a safe environment for the youth, the students, is one of the most important factors in unlocking their potential,” said Eugene Hong, Assistant Resident Representative of UNDP in Kazakhstan.
The seminar participants also met with the newly appointed Student Ombudsman and Advisor to the Kazakh Minister of Science and Higher Education, Aisulu Yerniyazova, who assured the students of her commitment to protect the students’ rights and advance their agenda. Aisulu Yerniyazova also shared her plans of establishing a National Union of Students, whose members will be involved in solving many of the student issues, including gender equality.
The seminar was held as part of the United Nations global campaign – The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence that begins on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs through International Human Rights Day on 10 December.
