In parts of Central Asia, a cruel practice still steals women’s freedom – kidnapping for marriage. Called “ala kachuu” in Kyrgyzstan and “alyp qashu” in Kazakhstan, it continues under the guise of “custom”. Across Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, thousands of girls are kidnapped every year — pulled from classrooms, cars, or homes — and pressured into marriages they did not choose.
Kyrgyzstan
Asel, 16, was walking to the shop in her village when a man she barely knew stopped his car, pulled her inside, and drove her to his home.
By the next morning, her family told her she was now his wife — “It’s our Kyrgyz custom,” they said. Asel had dreamed of studying art. Now, takes care of household for her kidnapper and his family, who call her “a good wife.”
In 2024 alone, Kyrgyz police opened 11 criminal cases for women kidnapping with the intention of marriage, which is far less than the actual amount of similar cases. The law forbids it, but the silence of families keeps it alive.
Kazakhstan
In January 2024, a 22-year-old man drove hundreds of kilometers from Zhanaozen to Shymkent to abduct a woman he met online. He pretended to be a courier, lured her outside, and forced her into a car — to “make her his wife.” Police stopped him before he could reach his village. The court gave him a only suspended sentence because the victim “forgave” him. Then, in May 2025, another “bride abduction ritual” ended in tragedy — a young woman died in a car crash during an “алып қашу” (alyp qashu) on the outskirts of Almaty.
Tajikistan
Nigora was 17 when her father decided she would marry a 25-year-old relative. Her mother had died and her own wish didn’t matter. She quit school, spent her days milking cows and baking bread for her “husband’s” family. Two miscarriages later, they blamed her and sent her home — uneducated, exhausted, and broken. Her words: “I wanted to study. Now I don’t even know who I am.”
Uzbekistan
In Surkhandarya region, a 15-year-old girl was forced into a secret religious marriage with a 28-year-old man. Her grandmother arranged it while her parents were away. Outrage online finally brought police action — a criminal case is now open. Meanwhile, in Tashkent, CCTV captured four men grabbing 20-year-old Indira outside her home and shoving her into a car.
She was beaten and left with head injuries. These are not “customs” — they are crimes committed in public view.
Turkmenistan
In Turkmenistan, almost no personal stories reach the public — but international reports confirm forced and underage marriages persist. When a country silences its victims, we must listen harder. Silence Is Not Safety.
Why We Speak
From Bishkek to Almaty, from Dushanbe to Tashkent, too many girls are still told that their lives belong to others. They are pulled from classrooms, cars, or homes — and from the futures they deserve.
Our campaign #StolenFutures reminds the world:
Violence can never be upheld as tradition.
Stand with the women of Central Asia.
Share their stories. Break the silence. Defend her freedom.
#stolenfutures #16DaysOfActivism #nottraditionnotlove #StopGBV #centralasia #womensrights #genderequality #FreedomToChoose #kazakhstan #kyrgyzstan #turkmenistan #tajikistan #uzbekistan
