KHUJAND, Tajikistan, 24 May 2006 - Representatives of the OSCE Centre in Dushanbe, local authorities, international experts and civil society met today to discuss the work of crisis centres and shelters in remedying and preventing violence against women.

Experts from Russia and Kazakhstan presented best practices on protecting women's rights, including the social and psychological rehabilitation and reintegration of victims into society. Tajik experts presented the results of the work of the first shelter for women victims of violence, which opened in July 2005 in Khujand (northern Tajikistan) with OSCE support.
According to Orzu Ganiyeva, Executive Director of the Khujand shelter, the facility organized over 300 psychological and legal consultations in the last nine months. Another 1,000 consultations were given over a telephone helpline. The shelter offered temporary accomodation to 21 women victims of violence and their children, as well as three adolescents. "Several cases of physical and psychological violence have been solved in an amicable way, while one was pursued through legal remedies," she added.

Gunta Robezniece, Gender Officer of the OSCE Centre in Dushanbe, said: "The work of the shelter has shown that there is a strong demand for this type of service. We are glad to see that the Government understands the importance of such centres. This helps pave the way for more shelters to be opened in other parts of the country."

The meeting was supported by the OSCE Centre in Dushanbe and organized by the Tajik non-governmental organizations Women's Centre Gulrukhsor in Khujand and the National Association of Business Women.