DUSHANBE, November 19, 2013, Asia-Plus – A domestic violence prevention campaign, dubbed “16 Days against Domestic Violence,” will be launched in Tajikistan beginning on November 25.

The main objective of the action, which is aimed at raising public awareness of domestic violence, is organized by the Project on Prevention of Domestic Violence (PDV), which is implemented in Tajikistan by the Branch of the German Company GOPA in Tajikistan under financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

A number of activities, involving representatives of local authorities, civil society, youth, and media, will be organized in the cities of Dushanbe and Qurghon Teppa as well as the districts of Vakhsh and Bokhtar in the southern province of Khatlon.

Violence against women has become a particularly wide-spread phenomenon in Tajikistan.  Negative issues like unemployment, poverty and social inequality that deteriorated during transition period led to increased level of psychological, sexual and physical violence towards women in the country.

According to a number of researches, neither victims of domestic violence nor their abusers can be classified by education level or social status.

Domestic violence can occur equally in families with high socio-economic status as well as in poor families.  Moreover, in the families with high income level victims are less likely to disclose a violence situation they face in the family not being able to break out the vicious cycle.

In a country like Tajikistan, where customs and traditions are extremely important, battered women do not speak out and prefer to conceal the truth fearing criticism from neighbors and family.  In the meantime, human rights experts say that for around 90 % of Tajik families domestic violence is an issue.

Project on Prevention of Domestic Violence (PDV) has worked in Tajikistan since 2004.  In September 2012, the Project entered its Phase 8, which will last until 2015.  

The overall goal of the Project is to reduce the level of domestic violence as an outrage violation of human rights, as well as raising public awareness on domestic violence issues.

The Project objectives are: supporting governmental and nongovernmental organizations in prevention and fight against domestic violence; improving access to quality services for domestic violence victims; and changing behavior on domestic violence through information and communication events and social campaigns.