Kazakh women break the silence under #IAmJaneDoe
Thousands of women are speaking out about childhood sexual violence. A law exists — but gaps remain.
Women in Kazakhstan have joined the international #IAmJaneDoe social-media campaign, speaking publicly about sexual violence they experienced as children and teenagers. Their accounts describe abuse by fathers, stepfathers, brothers, acquaintances and strangers. Many say they stayed silent for years because they feared judgment and did not trust law enforcement.
Where the campaign began
The #IAmJaneDoe campaign emerged from a case at Cornell University in the United States. In September 2026, a woman identified in court documents by the pseudonym 'Jane Doe' filed a civil lawsuit against seven former members of the Chi Phi fraternity, the university and other defendants. Women in many countries began posting under the hashtag to frustrate attempts to reveal the plaintiff's identity and to share their own experiences.
The numbers
Kazakhstan told the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW, 6 October 2026 session) that reported domestic-violence cases fell 24% in the first half of 2026 and killings fell 20%. These figures, however, reflect only officially recorded cases and do not capture the extent of unreported violence.
The 'Saltanat Law'
In June 2024, amendments informally known as the 'Saltanat Law' took effect, adopted after the murder of Saltanat Nukenova. Former Economy Minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev tortured and killed his wife on the night of 8-9 November 2023; on 13 May 2024 a court found him guilty of murder with extreme cruelty and sentenced him to 24 years. The law criminalised offences such as minor bodily harm and battery that had previously been handled administratively.
The gap
Rights advocates note that despite the law, there is still no separate criminal offence specifically covering domestic violence. On 14 October 2026, Human Rights Watch called on Kazakhstan to take action.
Raping, killing and torturing someone is not considered uyat, but speaking out about it is. — Denis Dzhivaga, deputy director, Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law
