Speaking Up About a Taboo - The НеМолчи Movement in Kazakhstan -

초록

Violence against women is widely recognized as a global pandemic itself. We focus on Kazakhstan’s recent civic movement against gender-based violence that uses the Russa-language online hashtag #НеМолчиKZ (“Do not keep silent”) on social media. The post-Soviet transitions in Central Asia include not only the collapse of the communist politico-economic system, but also the reinforcement of gender stereotypes and a patriarchal social structure with specific reference to public shame and stigma targeted against women. Thus, speaking openly about the extent to which women are deprived of rights and about the gender-based violence women face has been taboo. It is when the dissonance between the government’s official declarations on gender equality and the actual deterioration of women’s opportunities to participate in decision-making processes became conspicuous that the #НеМолчиKZ campaign was initiated. We explore the contents of the #НеМолчиKZ social media posts to identify patterns in online user responses to the posts. Our analysis reveals the message that this movement has tried to convey and the type of messages that went viral. We conclude by discussing how the НеМолчиKZ movement is intervening in Kazakhstani government processes during the coronavirus pandemic and what challenges it faces.

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