Kidnapping for marriage (ala kachuu) in a Kyrgyz village

Central Asian Survey

Volumn 24, Issue 2, 2005, Pages 191-202

  Kleinbach, Russell ^a,b   Ablezova, Mehrigiul Kadyrovna ^b   Aitieva, Medina Dushekeevna ^b  

^a THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ASIA   (Kyrgyzstan)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

GENDER ISSUE; MARRIAGE;

ASIA; EASTERN HEMISPHERE; EURASIA; KYRGYZSTAN; WEST ASIA; WORLD;

EID: 22644444735     PISSN: 02634937     EISSN: None     Source Type: Trade Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/02634930500155138     Document Type: Article

References (66)

1. F. Halle, Women in the Soviet East, translated from the German by Margaret M. Green (New York: E. P. Dutton, 1938);
2. G. Massell, The Surrogate Proletariat: Moslem Women and Revolutionary Strategies in Soviet Central Asia, 1919-1929 (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1974);
3. S. M. Abramzon, Kirgizy i ih ethnogoneticheskie i istoriko-kulturnye svyazi (Frunze: Kyrgyzstan, 1990);
4. C. Werner, 'Marriage, markets, and merchants: changes in wedding feasts and household consumption in patterns in rural Kazakhstan', Culture & Agriculture, Vol 19, Nos 1/2, 1997, pp 6-13;
5. J. Eshimkanova, 'Traditionalism versus civil society: NGOs versus bride kidnapping', Unpublished paper presented at the international student conference 'Ten Years After: Moving Forward, Looking Back?", Budapest, Hungary, 13-18 April, 1998;
6. K. Kuehnast, 'From pioneers to entrepreneurs: young women consumerism, and the "world picture" in Kyrgyzstan', Central Asian Survey, Vol 17, No 4, 1998, pp 639-654;
7. S. Lloyd-Roberts, 'Kyrgyz bride theft goes awry', BBC Worldnews, 22 March 1999a, available at ;
8. S. Lloyd-Roberts, 'Plight of Kyrgyzstan brides who are kidnapped, raped, and abandoned', The Independent, 6 March 1999b, p 18;
9. Violence Against Women, ch 5, Women in transition, UNICEF's Monee Project, No 6, 1999, pp 77-92;
10. L. M. Handraban, 'International human rights law and bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan', 28 January 2000a, posted on Eurasia Insight, 19 July 2001, available at http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/ articles/eav012400.shtml.;
11. L. M. Handrahan, 'Kidnapping brides in Kyrgyzstan: prescriptive human rights measures', Human Rights Tribune, Vol 7, No 1, March 2000b, available at ;
12. L. M. Handrahan, 'Hunting for women: bride-kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan', International Feminist Journal of Politics, Vol 6, No 2, June 2004, pp 207-233;
13. A. Tabyshalieva, 'Revival of traditions in post-Soviet Central Asia', Institute for Regional Studies, available at Accessed June 1 2004.
14. B. Bekeshova, 'Ala kachuu salt emes', Asylzat, No 2 (104), January 2004, p 9.
15. Halle, op cit, Ref 1, pp 92-93.
16. H. Toursunof and A. Abdyldaeva, 'Marriage of inconvenience', Transitions Online, 2003, available at .
17. Abramzon, op cit, Ref 1, p 245 (translated from Russian).
18. Bai, in Kyrgyz means a wealthy person.
19. G. Karimova and A. Kasybekov, 'Brides are keeping quiet', Verchniy Bishkek, 21 October 2003, p 8.
20. I b i d.
21. Lloyd-Roberts (1999a), op cit, Ref 1;
22. S. Amsler and R. Kleinbach, 'Bride kidnapping in the Kyrgyz Republic', International Journal of Central Asian Studies, Vol 4, 1999, pp 185-216;
23. R. Kleinbach, 'Frequency of non-consensual bride kidnapping in the Kyrgyz Republic', International Journal of Central Asian Studies, Vol 8, No 1, 2003, pp 108-128;
24. N. Orozobekova, 'Bride-kidnapping', Unpublished Student Paper, American University - Central Asia, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 2003;
25. R. K. Osmonalieva, Jenshiny Kyrgyzstana: Vchera i Segodnya' (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Prosveshenie, 2003).
26. P. Lom, 'Films: Ala Kachuu documentary film', in R. Kleinbach, 'Ala Kachuu', available at .
27. Tabyshalieva, op cit, Ref 1.http://www.ifrs.elcat.kg/Publication/ Anara,%20Revival%20of%20Traditions%20in%20Post- Soviet%20Central%20Asia.htm
28. Kuehnast, op cit, Ref 1
29. Violence Against Women, op cit Ref 1
30. Handrahan (2000a, 2000b), op'cit, Ref 1; Straits Times, May 8, 2001 Accessed January 10, 2002;
31. Tabyshalieva, op cit, Ref 1.
32. Orozobekova, op cit, Ref 9;
33. T. Orunbaeva, Unpublished lecture notes, 2003;
34. Handrahan, op cit, Ref 1.
35. Amsler and Kleinbach, op cit, Ref 9.
36. I b i d.
37. Kleinbach, op cit, Ref 9.
38. Amsler and Kleinbach, op cit, Ref 9;
39. Handrahan (2000a), op cit, Ref 1,
40. Handrahan (2000b), op cit, Ref 1
41. Handrahan (2004), op cit, Ref 1;
42. Kleinbach, op cit, Ref 9.
43. United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948;
44. United Nations, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, General Assembly resolution 34/180, 34 United Nations, 1981.
45. GAOR Supp. (No 46) at 193, UN Doc A/34/46, entered into force 3 September 1981, available at ;
46. Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan).
47. Amsler and Kleinbach, op cit, Ref 9.
48. I b i d.
49. Kleinbach, op cit, Ref 9.
50. Oblast is an administrative district in the Kyrgyz Republic. Currently, there are seven oblasts in the country.
51. Amsler and Kleinbach, op cit, Ref 9;
52. Kleinbach, op cit, Ref 9.
53. These figures are lower than Handrahan's (2004, op cit, Ref 1, p 220) reporting of 176 men, 35 per cent of whom reported kidnapping strangers.
54. Amsler and Kleinbach, op cit, Ref 9.
55. Handrahan (2004), op cit, Ref 1, p 223.
56. B. Pusurmankulova, 'Bride kidnapping: benign custom or savage tradition?', Voice of Freedom Initiative of the Human Rights Working Group, 15 June 2004, available at surveyed 300 respondents in the southern part of the country. Among the questions and responses was, 'Why do young men start a family by kidnapping brides? Here 27 [per cent] of all respondents mentioned economic reasons. They said it helps reduce marriage expenses. More than 34 [per cent] of the respondents think that young men steal those girls who do not agree to get married. And about 25 [per cent] of the respondents said it is very convenient when you have to marry urgently.'
57. C. Werner, 'Women, marriage, and the nation-state: the rise of nonconsensual bride kidnapping in post-Soviet Kazakhstan', in Pauline Jones Luong, ed, The Transformation of Central Asia (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2004), pp 59-89.
58. Werner's research (see pp 83-84) shows that in Kazakhstan, 'From 1946 to 2000, the percentage of kidnap marriages with strong consent declined from 75 per cent (1946-1970) to 35 per cent ... These findings correspond to a popular perception that the percentage of nonconsensual kidnapping is on the rise. Informants who were married in the 1960s and 1970s point out nostalgically that the kidnappings in the past were almost always with the girl's consent, and she was typically informed where and when the kidnapping would take place.'
59. A. Lomakin, The Common Law of the Turkmens (Adat) (Ashgabat: "Ylym", [1897], 1993), p 10.
60. Ibid, p 21.
61. Ibid, p 23.
62. Handrahan (2004), op cit, Ref 1, p 213.
63. Orozobekova, op cit, Ref 9.
64. See Orunbaeva, op cit, Ref 13. Tukan Orunbaeva is a leader of 'Bakubat' NGO in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan. She has conducted a number of seminars for male students in armed forces in Naryn. Orunbaeva's goal was to educate young males against bride kidnapping. She has also produced a documentary film, which she shows during her seminars. Orunbaeva is a gynecologist in a local hospital where she works mostly with young women. From their stories of unhappy marriages based on kidnappings without their consent Orunbaeva devotes her time holding seminars, presentations and meetings with students in colleges, universities and high schools.
65. R. Kleinbach, 'Ala Kachuu', retrieved on 27 June 2004, available at .
66. E. Dj. Schukurov, Gendernye Otnosheniya: Uroki Vzroslenia (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: UNDP, 2003).