Gender violence and stereotypes, harassment and discrimination. Short videos for Tik-Tok and Instagram on these hot topics were prepared by five influencers from Central Asian countries: ruhsoraemm (Uzbekistan), stengiee (Kyrgyzstan), rafaelgulov (Tajikistan), alisher.gulamov (Turkmenistan), shahrizada_s (Kazakhstan). All videos can also be viewed through the hashtags #CentralAsiawithHER #IDEACA #SpotlightCA

The videos were created within the Regional Program “Spotlight Initiative” with support of IDEA Central Asia.

The aim of the Regional Program “Spotlight Initiative” is to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. In their videos, popular tiktokers draw attention to the most pressing issues related to gender stereotyping and violence common to the entire region. Influencers encourage their audience not to remain indifferent to violence and combat with discrimination. All videos are available on pages of tiktokers.

“I wanted to support this initiative, as problem of gender-based violence is very relevant in our region. I have about 4 million followers on Tik Tok and I think it's very responsible to be able to speak to such a large audience. Social networks are important tool in our time, and a great platform from which one can and should talk about such things. It's great that the Spotlight Initiative and IDEA Central Asia are finding such creative ways to draw attention to the issue of harassment,” said Alan Dyusheev (@stengiee), a blogger from Kyrgyzstan.

Every day, the videos of tiktokers are gaining more and more views and stir discussions among users in the comments, which indicates the urgency of the problem in the Central Asian region.

“Response to and prevention of gender-based violence are one of the most important components in UNFPA mandate. Violence against women and girls is one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world, and it knows no social, economic or national boundaries. We believe that the videos that were prepared by influencers from Central Asia will not only raise awareness and stir discussion on these important issues but also have their contribution to the change of social norms,”  said Ronnie Lindstrom, UNFPA Representative in Kazakhstan and Country Director for Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The impact of violence on women and girls ranges from immediate to long-term effects on physical, sexual and mental health. As a result it provokes huge personal, social and economic costs around the world, from increased health care and legal costs to reduced productivity and impact on the well-being of the next generation. Gender equality and the empowerment of women are central to achieving full human potential and sustainable development, and the elimination of violence against women is an essential component.

Info note:

The Spotlight Initiative is a global initiative of the United Nations which has received generous support from the European Union. Its aim is to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.

The Spotlight Initiative Regional Programme for Central Asia and Afghanistan is fostering legal reforms, strengthening capacities of the respective institutions and women’s movements, promoting gender-equitable attitudes, and enhancing systems for collecting data on violence against women and girls.

The Spotlight Regional Programme partners with a broad range of actors, including civil society, donors, practitioners, academia, and media, to facilitate the elimination of harmful practices and advocate further gender transformation in the region.

- IDEA Central Asia is a leading youth organization that educates and inspires young people to materialize their ideas in Kyrgyzstan and throughout Central Asia.

IDEA Central Asia professionally supports young people in promoting their ideas and interests. IDEA Central Asia has been working in the field of interactive education, youth activism, public discussions and debates for more than 7 years.

More information about the Spotlight Initiative is at www.spotlightinitiative.org

Information about IDEA Central Asia is at https://ideaca.today/ru

For all media inquiries, please contact:

Zhamilya Kussainova, Communications Specialist, United Nations Population Fund tel.: +77016483153 kussainova@unfpa.org

Olesya Zhuravleva, Project Assistant, Regional Program “Spotlight Initiative” for the countries of Central Asia tel.: +7 701 6043001, e-mail: olessya.redkina@undp.org

Kamila Usmanova, Media Coordinator, IDEA Central Asia: tel.: +996551133911, e-mail: kamila@idebate.org