NGO Joint Parallel Report on the Government of Turkmenistan’s Fifth Report on the Implementation of the International Convention Against Torture, and other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Date: 10 March 2025
Issues: Family Planning, Sexuality Education, Gender based violence, Virginity Testing
Mechanism: UN Committee Against Torture
Report Type: Joint Parallel Report by Science for Democracy, International Human Rights Center Loyola Law School and Progres Foundation
View and Download Report: Turkmenistan – CAT – Gender Equality – March 2025, PDF
The national laws and their poor implementation are enabling ill-treatment of women and girls in Turkmenistan.
(1) The purpose of this parallel report is to assist the Committee against Torture in the formulation of the List of Issues during the 82nd Pre-Sessional Working Group (7 Apr. 2025 – 2 May 2025), leading to the discussion of the Government of Turkmenistan’s Fifth Periodic Report on the implementation of the Convention Against Torture, and other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (“CAT” or “Covenant”). Turkmenistan acceded to the Covenant on 25 June 1999.
(2) Unfortunately, gender inequality is widespread in Turkmenistan. Sexual and reproductive healthcare, specifically resources, data and information, are inadequate or lacking altogether. This is exacerbated by state-controlled media and its failure to disseminate scientific knowledge and evidence-based information. Sexual and reproductive health information is desperately needed for women to have an opportunity to reach their full potential, particularly to ensure health, economic security and legal protections.
(3) This report recommends that change should originate in school curriculums and be reinforced by removing regulations and restrictions that deny women and girls their right to bodily autonomy. Further, we propose that adequate reporting processes for discriminatory virginity testing must be created and utilized, and meaningful family planning initiatives must be implemented. Turkmenistan’s third periodic report, submitted in November 2023, does not reference abortion care, comprehensive sexuality education, virginity testing or family planning. However, we do recognize and commend the attention brought to gender-based violence within and outside the family in the state report.
Suggested recommendations for the Government of Turkmenistan
We respectfully recommend this Honorable Committee include at least one of the following questions in the List of Issues it will prepare for Turkmenistan.
- Please explain what steps Turkmenistan intends to take to repeal the law criminalizing abortion and amending the law to include exceptions for rape and incest.
- Please explain what reporting processes are in place for victims of virginity testing in schools that are confidential and not tied to the police.
- Please explain what steps Turkmenistan intends to take to ensure safe abortions are accessible to all women and girls throughout the country.
- Please explain what steps Turkmenistan intends to take to lower the rates of unintended pregnancies in its jurisdiction.
- Please provide up-to-date data on maternal mortality rates.
- Please explain what steps Turkmenistan intends to take to lower the rates of teenage pregnancies in its jurisdiction.
- Please explain what steps Turkmenistan intends to take to disseminate knowledge about sexual and reproductive health and rights to women and girls.
- Please explain how the government’s relevant ministries and agencies responded and reacted to international and regional news and claims regarding the State Party’s lack of abortion, contraceptive resources, and sexual and reproductive health education, and the prevalence of virginity testing.
- Please explain what steps Turkmenistan intends to take to increase contraception use.
- Please provide up-to-date data on the number of girls who have undergone virginity testing and what the government did with the data and results from the testing.
