The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women - a day of hope for the future, was marked by the opening of the Cyber Nomad mural in Astana's Triathlon Park. The art work is the artist's take on a world without violence and the empowerment of women and girls. The organizers of the event - United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA) and the Canadian Embassy in Kazakhstan, commissioned the mural to a young Kazakhstani artist Charly Sword. Charly was inspired by her personal experience of abuse and sought to create a work that would reflect the strength of the female spirit, uniqueness, and independence.
Commenting on the idea for her work, Charly said:
The mural sketch was the first portrait in a series of works based on the concept of the same name. The image of a strong woman who knows her worth, free, active, and not bound by restrictions, is the embodiment of the primordially historical character of a nomadic woman. The mural is a call to action for everyone to pay attention to the deep message inherent in this work.
Gender-based violence knows no bounds; it occurs in homes, schools, businesses, public transport, sport arenas, and increasingly online. It becomes more severe in the context of climate change and during times of conflict. Women and girls have no safe place, and violence against them remains the world's most chronic, devastating, and overlooked violation of human rights. In Kazakhstan, every third woman has experienced controlling behavior from her partner at least once in her life. Every sixth woman aged 18-75 who has had a partner has experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner. One in five women has experienced psychological violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. Women aged 18-24 and 30-39 are at the highest risk of intimate partner violence. Nearly a quarter of women experiencing physical, sexual, or psychological violence have experienced all three forms of partner violence. Women whose mothers were subjected to violence are also more likely to experience physical and/or sexual violence from their partners.
The statistics are alarming, and the situation was only worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports of domestic violence have increased by 20-25% during the pandemic, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Speaking at the presentation of the mural, Mr Ronny Lindstrom, UNFPA Representative in Kazakhstan and Country Director for Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan said:
Indeed, the statistics we have is very concerning. Yet we need to always remember that violence against women and girls is completely preventable. We can stop this crisis by acting in solidarity with the growing numbers of people who are standing up and saying “enough”. Everyone has the right to live in safety and security.
The organizers of the mural painting were motivated by the thought that a big mural, located in a popular place, will attract the attention of the people and make them notice not only the image itself but also understand the deep message inherent in this work. For this purpose, a QR-code leading to the website with the information on 16 Days of Activism campaign was placed in the bottom right corner of the Cyber Nomad mural.
The mural is a symbol of hope for a better future, where violence against women is not just an afterthought but a thing of the past.
