Almaty Women's Rally Sparks Feminist Counter-Protest

Around a hundred people participating in a government-friendly women's rally in Almaty are met with a feminist counter-protest.

The feminist group accuses the rally of being staged by the government after it denied their request to hold a demonstration on March 8, International Women's Day.

"March 8 was simply taken away by the Almaty Äkim [mayor] and given to state activists who, alas, do not represent various social groups, do not represent grassroots initiatives," says one counter-protester.

More than 80 femicides are officially recorded each year in Kazakhstan, where domestic violence is not included in the criminal code.

In a society deeply entrenched with patriarchal attitudes, the United Nations estimates that the unofficial figure could be as high as 400.

Rights groups say women in Kazakhstan feel pressured to drop accusations or reconcile with their abusers.

According to the interior ministry, of more than 100,000 reports received each year "60 percent of victims refuse to lodge a complaint".

Cases of domestic violence are often glossed over by traditional media in Kazakhstan, where public debate is tightly controlled, but survivors and activists are increasingly speaking out on social media.

Last year, the death of Saltanat Nukenova, 31, killed by her husband in a restaurant in the capital Astana, sparked widespread outrage online.

The perpetrator, former economy minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev, was charged with "particularly cruel murder" and "torture".

In the aftermath, an online petition calling for tougher legislation garnered more than 150,000 signatures in just a few days, a record in Kazakhstan.