Uzbekistan bans propaganda of polygamy and denial of equal rights for men and women

The lower house of Uzbekistan’s parliament has approved a new law on the prohibition of propaganda of polygamy and wearing clothes that cover the face while in public.

What is the draft law suggesting? The document suggests amending the criminal and administrative codes with penalties for:

– propaganda of having two or more wives;

– open denial of equal rights of men and women; and

– wearing clothes that make impossible the identification of a person in public places.

However, the country’s authorities won’t go after those who cover their faces under medical or professional circumstances.

The new legislation also imposes liability for propaganda of superiority or inferiority of some people because of their nationality, ethnic background, race, or religion. In addition, the new law prohibits performing religious matrimonial ceremonies if a marriage isn’t legal.

What are the amendments needed for? According to the country’s officials, these amendments are necessary to raise the efficacy of measures aimed at maintaining public order.

What do we know about polygamy in Kazakhstan? In 1998, the country removed polygamy from the list of sanctioned actions. Ten years later authors of the national code on marriage and family suggested legalizing polygamy, although MPs didn’t support this idea. Currently, there is no way someone can legalize several marriages at the same time in Kazakhstan.

However, the country’s legislation doesn’t prohibit propaganda of polygamy, although in 2017 the government said that it would punish those who perform nikah without legal marriage.

In August 2023, Kursiv reported that Kazakhstan may impose a penalty for bridal kidnapping before legal marriage. According to the National Center for Human Rights, those who committed this type of kidnapping might be punished with four to seven years in jail. However, these regulations haven’t yet been considered by the parliament.