アジア女性資料センターは、中絶非合法化の提案に反対し、国際支援を求めるキルギスタンの女性グループへの連帯を示すため、APWLDを通して以下の抗議文に賛同しました。
キルギスタンでは、12-22週めの妊娠中絶を行った女性と医療関係者を処罰する提案が出されています。これに対して国内の女性団体は、このオンブズマン提案が、キルギスタンも批准している女性差別撤廃条約や、リプロダクティブ・ライツ法に反していることを指摘し、こうした措置によってヤミ中絶が増えることを懸念しています。

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President of the Kyrgyz Republic

Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament) of the Kyrgyz Republic

Government of the Kyrgyz Republic

Special Representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic in Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament) on gender development issues

Ombudsman of the Kyrgyz Republic

Public of Kyrgyzstan

LETTER OF ADDRESS

We, the underwritten, consider it a civic duty to express our concern
about the initiative of the Ombudsman of the Kyrgyz Republic to
introduce a criminal liability for women and medical workers terminating
12-22 weeks pregnancy under social indications.
During its independence, Kyrgyzstan has made serious steps towards
democratisation and gender development. It has ratified more than 40 UN
conventions on human rights, including the main legal instrument on
gender equality ? Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW, ratified in 1997).
In compliance with the CEDAW Committee’s General Recommendation #21 —
Equality in Marriage and Family Relations — the decision of a woman to
have or not to have a child “must not be limited by spouse, parent,
partner or Government”. In addition, the Committee recommends States
parties to “ensure that measures are taken to prevent coercion in
regard to fertility and reproduction” (General Recommendation #19.
Violence against Women.).
According to the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic on Repoductive Rigths
(Article 12) ≪a woman can not be forced by anyone to pregnancy,
abortion, or delivery. Such actions are qualified as violence agains
women≫.
Termination of pregnancy, especially in late terms, is always an
extreme step. It roots in a complex combination of discriminatory
mechanisms reproduced by the state and the society.
Raising the issue of the possibility of repressive sanctions against
women in exercising their basic guaranteed freedoms and rights severely
violates constitutional rights of a person and discriminates women.
Introduction of the proposed amendment, in fact, means a reversal of
democratic processes and a withdrawal from gender mainstreaming course.

The global experience demostrates that the decreases in the abortion
rates are achieved not through violent repressions against women and
medical personnel, but rather through targeted state policies
supporting maternity, children, families, and reproductive rights.
Effective regulation of reproductive behavior of people relies on a
wide access to information and services on family planning.

We firmly believe that, if the measures suggested by the Ombudsman —
namely the introduction of the criminal liability for termination of
pregnancy of 12-22 weeks gestation — are adopted, the situation with
reproductive rights and humanitarian security will deteriorate.
Narrowed access to quality healthcare may feed the illegal abortions
industry, which kills hundreds of women worldwide every day. Other
facets of such measure are abandoned and slaughtered children and
destroyed families. It will be hard to estimate economic damages from
such political step. Maintenance of orphanages and prisons, as well as
treatment and rehabilitation of victims of street abortions, and
additional losses in manpower will become an extra burden for the
nation.
We express our confidence, that the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Members of the Jogorku Kenesh, and the Government will not allow the adoption of the Ombudsman’s proposition as breaking fundamental human rights and contradicting both the national and international legislation.

June 07, 2006

Women Support Center
kyrgyzwomen@hotmail.com; 546614 phone/fax

Reproductive Health Alliance
rhak@infotel.kg; 549384 phone/fax

Kyrgyz Family Planning Alliance
kaps00@mail.ru

Rural Women’s NGO “Alga”
alga@infotel.kg; 610022 phone/fax

Social Technologies Agency
kas-kg@elcqt.kg; 611143, 610297 phone/fax

Civil Initiative Center ‘Leader’
root@lider.cango.net.kg; leader_kg@mail.ru; 0-3922-54184 phone/fax

Association “Diamond”
diamond@infotel.kg; 680024 phone/fax

Forum of Women’s NGOs of Kyrgyzstan
janay@elcat.kg; 214585 phone/fax