Kazakhstani Law Maker Describes Feminist March as an Attack on Traditional Values

According to Bekbolat Tleukhan, a deputy of the lower chamber of Kazakhstan’s Parliament, the ideas and slogans demonstrated by five feminist organizations during a march on March 8 are an attack on traditional family values in Kazakhstan. On March 31 he required Vice Prime Minister Eraly Togzhanov to investigate the case.

While talking to the government officials, he cited an opinion of his female voters, who allegedly are unhappy with many modern tendencies among Kazakhstan’s youth. 

«Among various topics that have been raised by these women, the main issue is the ideology of family values. People worry about such new tendencies as same-sex marriage and gender reassignment because they contradict the traditional values of Kazakh people,» said Tleukhan.

He noted that he is also concerned.

«As everyone knows, five feminist organizations celebrated International Women’s Day by doing a march. I’ve seen the video of that march in various media and I know that along with the official topics of the march they also supported something different. They shouted out slogans that completely contradict our values,» he said.

At first glance, the march looked like a protest against home violence but then its agenda was changed, the deputy stated.

«We all know our traditional roots and values; therefore, we are considering these slogans as an attack on them… I want the government to carry out legal examination of that march in Almaty and hether or not the local administration approved the participation of these extremist groups,» Tleukhan underlined.

According to him many of the ideas and slogans demonstrated during the feminist march on March 8 are inorganic for Kazakhstan’s society.