Tag: Kazakhstan

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Response stories

Defending the rights of LGBTIQ+ activists in Kazakhstan: Danara’s story

The story of Danara (name changed), a 25-year-old queer woman and LGBT activist, was a powerful example of the struggle for rights and non-discrimination in the workplace. The incident highlighted the importance of equal opportunities for all, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Situation:

Danara had been working in theatre for several years and feared autism as she openly expressed her sexual orientation on social media, where she shared photos of her relationships and attended rallies.

The day everything changed while packing for work, Danara received a message from a colleague who asked if she had seen the material, he had sent to the theatre’s general chat room, which consisted of about 50-100 employees of various positions.

When asked by Danara what the material was, the colleague forwarded the messages to her, complete with photos taken from her personal social media page that revealed her sexual orientation. The colleague wrote a tirade accusing her of rude and aggressive behavior at work and describing her as an “LGBT activist”, claiming that she promoted lesbian values and painted female genitals even in the props of a theatre production she was managing.

Moreover, the colleague gave an ultimatum to his colleagues: either Danara leaves the theatre or he refuses to cross her threshold by referring to her as an “LGBT activist”.

Actions and REAction:

Danara came to work, and her colleagues became supportive. They expressed their outrage at the abuser’s unethical behavior and referred to the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan and articles relating to freedom of speech. They offered her the assistance of a lawyer and publicly noted the inadmissibility of discrimination.

The abuser was quickly removed from the work chat room and dismissed from her job for breach of corporate ethics and unacceptable discrimination in the workplace.

Psychological support was provided to support Danara and human rights counselling was provided.

Conclusion:

Danara’s story is an example of the importance of protecting rights and ensuring equal opportunities for all citizens, regardless of their sexual orientation. Discrimination and outings in the workplace should not be tolerated. This case also emphasizes the importance of publicly supporting and fighting for the rights of LGBTIQ+ people in Kazakhstan and globally.

Also read:

Combating Discrimination Against Children with HIV in Kazakhstan Educational Institutions

Problems of HIV-positive prisoners in Azerbaijan

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Response stories

Combating Discrimination Against Children with HIV in Kazakhstan Educational Institutions

In our society, there is an obligation to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all citizens, regardless of their health or other characteristics. However, even in the modern world, some individuals face discrimination, especially children with HIV-positive status. The story of Ayman (name changed) and her child is just one example of such discrimination, but it is important to highlight the actions taken to protect their rights.

Situation:

Ayman, a single mother, found herself in the need to provide care and education for her child, who also happens to be HIV-positive. She decided to enroll her child in an educational center that offered extended-day services and was conveniently located near their home. The center’s conditions included providing supervision for the child before and after school, meals, assistance with homework, and a focus on educational aspects.

However, when Ayman applied to the educational center, she was denied a contract for educational services due to her child’s HIV-positive status. This refusal left her puzzled and worried, as she did not know where to turn to ensure a safe and caring environment for her child after school.

Actions and REAction:

Ayman and an infectious disease specialist, who provided medical support to her and her family, decided to take action together. They contacted the management of the educational center and invited the staff for an explanatory conversation. During this discussion, several crucial points were addressed:

Modes of HIV Transmission: The infectious disease specialist provided information on how HIV is transmitted and the precautions taken to prevent transmission within educational institutions.

Non-Discriminatory Approach: It was explained that the Republic of Kazakhstan guarantees protection from discrimination based on health or health status. This means that refusing services based on HIV-positive status is unacceptable.

Confidentiality: To protect the child’s confidentiality and medical information, the center’s management was reminded of the strict need to maintain confidentiality and not disclose the child’s diagnosis.

Conclusion:

The joint efforts of Ayman, the infectious disease specialist, and the management of the educational center resulted in the resolution of the situation and the protection of the child’s right to receive educational services. This case underscores the importance of education and public awareness about the rights of HIV-positive citizens and the impermissibility of discrimination based on their health. The pursuit of equality and the protection of every child’s right should be a priority in educational institutions and society as a whole.

Also read:

Combating Discrimination Against Children with HIV in Kazakhstan Educational Institutions

Problems of HIV-positive prisoners in Azerbaijan

Categories
Response stories

Discrimination against HIV-positive prisoners in Kazakhstan: Barriers to resocialization

The situation of HIV-positive prisoners in Kazakhstan faces challenges and discrimination, especially in the process of reintegration back into society. The denial of resocialization services to HIV-positive prisoner Damir (name changed) was a clear example of the limitations faced by HIV-positive people upon release from correctional facilities.

Damir’s situation

In April 2023, Damir contacted REActor in connection with applying for parole from a correctional facility. He planned to move to a re-socialization center after his release for support and integration back into society. However, during the court hearing, the specialist at the Resocialization Center stated that Damir was HIV-positive and had to stay in a specialized medical facility, which prevented the provision of accommodation services in the Resocialization Center.

Discriminatory barriers

The refusal of the Resocialization Center to provide services to HIV-positive Damir is based on unacceptable discrimination, which may violate his rights to equal access to social support and the possibility to return to society after serving his sentence. The refusal is based on paragraph 2, paragraph 30 of the Rules of activity of organizations providing special social services, approved by the Order of the Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan from August 29, 2018, №379.

Measures taken

In turn, Damir appealed to the Representative of the Ombudsman for Human Rights in the Republic of Kazakhstan for the East Kazakhstan region and filed a complaint against the Resocialization Center. The representative of the Ombudsman initiated a working meeting with the participation of the Prosecutor’s Office, the Resocialization Center, the Health Department, the AIDS Center, and the Department of Corrections and Detention. During the meeting, it was decided through the prosecutor’s office to request the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan to explain the meaning and content of p. 2 p. 30 of the Rules of Activity of Organizations Providing Special Social Services.

Conclusion

The situation with HIV-positive prisoners in Kazakhstan requires close attention and additional measures to prevent discrimination and ensure equal access to social and medical support. It is necessary to strive for fair treatment and avoid violation of the rights of HIV-positive people, including their right to re-socialization and return to society after serving their sentence.

Also read:

Discrimination against HIV-positive women in Kazakhstan: Life on the brink

Client Incident: Wrongful Disclosure of Medical Information in Uzbekistan

Categories
Response stories

Discrimination against HIV-positive women in Kazakhstan: Life on the brink

The situation of HIV-positive people in Kazakhstan faces various challenges, including discrimination and stigmatization. Despite improved awareness and access to medical care, many women continue to face limitations and challenges related to their HIV status. Consider the case of Amina (name changed), who faced discrimination and difficulties in accessing medical care for her pregnancy termination.

On March 15, Amina, who is HIV-positive, approached REActor with a question about where she should initially go to terminate her pregnancy, as she has a one-year-old HIV-positive child and is not yet ready to become a mother again. At first, the REActor referred Amina to an infectious disease doctor, which is standard practice for women with HIV, but this is where the first difficulties began. The doctor issued a certificate required for termination of pregnancy and referred her to a gynecologist at her place of residence. However, when Amina went to the polyclinic with her paid ultrasound, it turned out that the pregnancy term determined on its basis did not coincide with the results of the previous study. This led to additional tests and a delay in the procedure.

On March 27, after a repeat ultrasound and hCG analysis, she was finally given a referral to the perinatal center for termination of pregnancy. However, the maternity center denied her the operation, explaining that they could not accept an HIV-positive patient because their facility did not have a “dirty zone” for such cases. This case of discrimination was based on recent rules introduced at the perinatal center.

Fighting for rights

Rejected and humiliated, Amina went to the REActor for help. The REActor went with her to the head of the AIDS Center and found out that the rules imposed did exist. Then REActor found out that the gynecologist who treated Amina at the polyclinic knew about the new rules and should not have referred her to the perinatal center. However, the gynecologist forgot about this and gave the wrong referral, putting Amina in an even greater situation of uncertainty and anxiety.

Amina was then sent to the city hospital, but even there she was not admitted because of the wrong referral. Only after correcting the document was, she admitted to the hospital and the surgery was finally performed on April 3.

Measures against discrimination

After all, this happened, Amina decided to file a complaint against the responsible gynecologist for the wrong referral. Together with the REActor, she went to the relevant service, where her complaint was recorded. The Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan reacted quickly and took action against the doctor.

According to the Ministry’s report, the doctor was severely reprimanded, deprived of her bonus, and suspended for 6 months for advanced training. However, the doctor herself did not provide Amina with such negative experiences and discrimination.

Conclusion

Amina’s case reflects the difficulties faced by HIV-positive women in Kazakhstan, particularly in accessing health care and reproductive services. Discrimination based on HIV status remains a serious problem, and additional measures must continue to be worked on to ensure equitable access to health care.

Authorities and healthcare providers should actively work to increase awareness and education on HIV/AIDS and implement protective mechanisms to prevent discrimination based on HIV status. Such measures will help to create a more favorable and safer environment for all people, and allow everyone to receive quality health care without fear of discrimination.

Also read:

Client Incident: Wrongful Disclosure of Medical Information in Uzbekistan

Survival Story: How an organization helped a woman overcome her HIV diagnosis and start a new life

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News

Launching REAct in Kazakhstan: Enhancing Legal Protection and Responding to Human Rights Violations

To improve the level of human rights protection in the country and to effectively respond to violations at the community level, in early 2023, Kazakhstan decided to implement the REAct project. This was made possible as a result of successful collaboration between ICF “Alliance for Public Health” and local partners in the field of civil society, human rights, and health. As part of this process, tools and resources were developed and adapted to fit the local context and the needs of key groups.

Since its launch in April 2023, the project has been actively implemented in three cities: Astana, Almaty, and Ust-Kamenogorsk, where the largest number of people living with HIV reside. At the moment, the project involves 7 people, including 2 REActors in each of these cities and 1 national coordinator.

Project focus and objectives:

The main focus of the REAct project in Kazakhstan is to respond to and prepare project clients to defend their rights. Each applicant is provided with counseling depending on the specifics of his/her case and readiness to defend his/her rights. Also, such services as writing complaints, applications to law enforcement agencies, collecting documents for filing a lawsuit in court, referral to professional lawyers, as well as mediation and mediation between the victim and perpetrators are provided.

Significance of REAct for Kazakhstan:

The launch of REAct in Kazakhstan opens new opportunities for community-based human rights advocacy and effective response to violations. The project provides legal support to clients and mobilizes the community to take active measures to protect and promote the rights of people living with HIV. The REAct project is expected to improve the quality of services and address areas of human rights concern in Kazakhstan.

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Demand Compliance! Why is standing up for one’s right to work so important?

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