General News

Kyrgyzstan is slowly moving forward after the June 2010 violence in the south of the country that left hundreds dead. On 10th October, parliamentary elections were held in a peaceful manner and characterised as relatively fair. 56 per cent of those with the right to vote went to the polls and cast their vote for one of the 29 parties contesting the 120 seats in the Parliament. According to the OSCE and European Parliament election observers, the elections ‘constituted a further consolidation of the democratic process’*.

United Nations Resolution 1325, passed 10 years ago this week, recognises the devastating impact of conflict on women and states that women must be involved in building peace. Despite this historic resolution, women all over the world are today suffering violence, while being excluded from solutions to conflict.