U.S. Diplomacy Project Set to Scale Gender-Based Violence Program for Young Women in Kazakhstan using Research-Backed Storytelling Methodologies

    NEW YORK, NY, January 11, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Conflict zones, such as the current crisis and unrest in Kazakhstan, are known to often result in higher rates of GBV (OHCHR). Footage Foundation (Footage) will use their innovative peer-to-peer scaling model to grow Girl-talk-Girl, an award-winning program and the largest digital platform for young women's voices on gender-based violence (GBV), in Almaty, Kazakhstan. In partnership with local organization Rodnik, and supported and sponsored by the U.S. Embassy Consulate, Girl-talk-Girl will expand the tested evidence-based model to continue work with young women survivors of violence, with a focus on trafficking. The project will develop the capacity of young women (ages approximately 18-30), preparing them to lead Girl-talk-Girl story sharing in their own communities, promoting equality, rights, inclusion, and healing from GBV while building employable skill sets. Included in the program is awareness training for civil society, NGOs, and crisis centers across Kazakhstan and Eurasia on the power of compassion, connection, and narrative in alleviating GBV.

A 2020 report from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) points to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as a cause of millions of new GBV cases globally. Already in Kazakhstan, domestic violence is the leading cause of divorce, with approximately 1in 5 women aged 18-75 experiencing intimate partner physical violence, sexual violence, and/or psychological abuse (UN Women). In Central Asia and notably in Kazakhstan, the pandemic has intensified the risk of exploitation by traffickers, as vulnerable groups are stranded on borders in dire circumstances (USAID).

Of the new project, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Footage Foundation, Dr. Kristen Ali Eglinton, says, "GBV itself remains a barrier to equality, inclusion, and leadership and training opportunities. This project promotes inclusion, women's empowerment, and builds the capacity of underserved Kazakhstani young women, civil society organizations, and the Kazakh-speaking public in grassroots problem solving around one of the world's most insidious human rights issues, gender-based violence."

For additional details and interviews, contact Dr. Kristen Ali Eglinton at [email protected].

About Footage Foundation: A nonprofit organization founded by PhD colleagues at Cambridge University, Footage designs innovative, evidence-based programs that use local technology and expressive multimedia tools to improve well-being by bringing the underrepresented voices and experiences of young people into dialogue on the world's most challenging issues. Based in the U.S., Footage has been working internationally at the intersection of youth, human rights, and GBV for more than a decade.

https://www.footageproject.org

CONTACT:
Dr. Kristen Ali Eglinton
Footage Foundation
[email protected]
US +1 (917) 428-2739

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