Tadjikistan
On December 5, 2025, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), together with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Regional Office for Central Asia (OHCHR ROCA), and the NGO Right and Prosperity, convened an expert roundtable in Dushanbe to examine Tajikistan’s implementation of its obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and other international human rights treaties in relation to gender-based violence (GBV).
The discussion presented key findings of the ICJ mission on access to justice for women and girls in Tajikistan and focused on systemic barriers that continue to impede effective investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of GBV cases. Participants examined gaps in criminal and administrative procedures, weak enforcement of protective measures, limited access to legal aid, deficiencies in forensic practice, and the impact of entrenched gender stereotypes on the functioning of the justice system.
Participants emphasized that the human rights obligations of Tajikistan require the State to ensure survivor-centered procedures, protect against retraumatization, guarantee access to justice without placing an undue burden on survivors, and remove discriminatory legal and practical barriers that prevent women and girls from obtaining protection and remedies. They noted that broad reliance on reconciliation, the absence of a specific criminal offense of domestic violence, limited recognition of psychological harm, and insufficient State funding for support services undermine compliance with international human rights law and standards.
The ICJ stressed the need to strengthen procedural safeguards, ensure that investigations in all GBV cases are initiated ex officio, expand access to free legal aid, bring forensic practices in line with international obligations, and take concrete measures to enable judges to apply international human rights law in their decisions.
This roundtable forms part of follow-up to the findings of the ICJ mission on access to justice for women and girls in GBV cases in Tajikistan and to the 2024 Concluding Observations of the CEDAW Committee. It was organized under the European Union-funded project “Women Empowerment through the Justice System in Tajikistan” (WEMJUST), implemented by the ICJ in cooperation with Tajikistan NGO Right and Prosperity.
