Kyrgyz Republic Women's Congress

The Women's Congress was established on May 24, 1993. Its goal is to unite the women's movement in Kyrgyzstan to achieve full gender equality, eliminate discrimination, and promote democracy. It works to promote health care services for women, provide financial assistance to poor families, disabled veterans, and single mothers, and to restore Kyrgyzstan's national culture and language.

In 1995 the Congress conducted the seminar "Women in a Transitional Society," after which recommendations on women's issues were made to the Kyrgyz government. The Congress credits the seminar with speeding up Parliament's ratification of international conventions on women.

A business education center was also established in Bishkek after the seminar, which had served 270 people by mid-1998; 20 of them have opened their own businesses. The Congress has also conducted seminars on the role of mass media in support of women.

Last updated:    November 1998

For more information on the emerging third sector in Central Asia third sector see Civil Society in Central Asia (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1999).

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