The Foundation launches a new project in the Kyrgyz Republic

The EU funded project aims to improve mechanisms for provision of public services among women from ethnic minorities

During a series of meetings between 21-24 November 2019, the Max Planck Foundation launched its new project “Fighting against discrimination of women from ethnic minorities and ensuring their equal access to public services” funded by the EU and implemented in cooperation with a local partner organisation Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan.

The kick-off meeting took place on 21 November with local project partners and a Senior Research Fellow from the Foundation taking part. The participants discussed the distribution of tasks and a range of issues related to effective project implementation. On the following day, the Foundation’s representative delivered a training of trainers for a working group of local lawyers who will deal with the implementation of the legal component of the project. He presented on international standards on non-discrimination as well as standards applicable to ethnic minority women in particular and their access to public services. The participants included members of the lawyers’ working group, the Executive Director of the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia and a local project manager. They used the opportunity to identify and analyse the most important challenges ethnic minority women face in the Kyrgyz Republic.

On 23 November, the Foundation and local partners met with the team leader of a rule of law project in Kyrgyzstan funded by the EU and implemented by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) in cooperation with other partner organisations to discuss potential overlaps or areas of cooperation. A further meeting with the chairwoman of a local women’s NGO followed, in which the participants shared experiences and tried to identify those areas where legal assistance from the project team is most required.