Uzbekistan has enacted a new presidential decree aimed at significantly enhancing the protection of women and children, following a serious increase in cases of violence and oppression against them. The decree addresses a broad range of issues, including fostering societal intolerance towards violence, preventing early marriages, and improving social protection and financial literacy for women.

In an interview, Nodira Khakimova, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration responsible for implementing the decree, highlighted that recent statistics on childbirth among young women and reports of violence against women indicate a worsening trend. She stated, "Early childbirth, domestic violence, violence against minors, divorces, and other statistics – their growth made it clear that the time for change was not today, but yesterday. In short, we have declared war, a battle against rapists and pedophiles."

According to the decree, special SOS buttons will be installed for rapid response to violence cases against women and children, and capabilities for reporting to internal affairs agencies via a mobile application will be expanded. Khakimova explained, "We are developing a system where internal affairs officers can arrive within a maximum of 10 minutes after an SOS button signal."

Preventing early marriages is a key focus of the decree, with plans to develop an incentive system for marriages registered between individuals over 21 years old. Khakimova emphasized, "We must make it a trend not to marry from 18 years, but to marry after 21. The president also speaks about this; our main task becomes promoting among youth the awareness of life's meaning, obtaining education, and only then starting a family."

The decree mandates the development of stringent measures against pedophiles and rapists, including the introduction of life imprisonment for pedophilia crimes committed against minors. Khakimova noted that reaching this decision was challenging, with multiple options considered: "It was not easy; in a sense, lifelong imprisonment and its maintenance are also a certain expense for the state. But the life and honor of our girls, our children, are above all for us. There was also an option of chemical castration, but we rejected it as it is a medically complex procedure with low effectiveness."

Additionally, to ensure comprehensive protection for women and girls, the decree provides educational leave and opportunities for distance learning for women who have given birth.

Source: kun.uz