Project period: 01.09.2022 – 28.02.2024

Donor: Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development of Canada (DFATD) through project funding by Canada Fund for Local Initiatives

Our goals:

• To advocate for a progressive stand-alone anti-discrimination law in Kazakhstan
• To raise public awareness about prohibition, prevention and response to different forms of discrimination

The main problems that this we want to solve:

1. The primary issue is that there is no stand-alone anti-discrimination law in Kazakhstan that would prohibit discrimination and implement preventive mechanisms to tackle various forms of discrimination.

2. Undeveloped practice of bringing to responsibility for discrimination using international mechanisms of protection of human rights.

3. Hushing up the problem of discrimination at the state level led to the situation when a wide range of groups of people suffer from discrimination and stigma and does not have effective remedies to protect their rights 4. Lack of understanding of equality, non-discrimination and anti-harassment in the different sectors of Kazakhstan.

What we do:

1. Non-discrimination trainings

• Workshop for journalists and bloggers. This online workshop will provide journalists and bloggers with the tools necessary to use positive non- discriminatory language in media coverage.

• Workshop for human rights defenders and lawyers. Program includes both theoretical and practical modules to strengthen the knowledge about discrimination and develop practical skills for the protection of human rights in the country.

2. Local Agenda Analysis and Anti- Discrimination Proposals

– Local experts will be involved to deliver analysis of national legislation and prepare a Package of Proposal to the draft Non-Discrimination Act.

3. Advocacy

• Online expert public discussion will be organized to discuss the anti-discrimination bill.
• Conference on the issue of discrimination in Kazakhstan to highlight lack of legal prohibition of discrimination in Kazakhstan, the need for introducing such legislation and the results that will be brought about by such legislation.

• We will raise issues of non-discrimination in traditional media and social media, through various publications.

What we are expect (our results):

1) The umbrella law on the prohibition of discrimination will be promoted in Kazakhstan;

2) At least 40 journalists and bloggers will be educated on ethical standards regarding anti- discriminative language;

3) At least 40 human rights defenders and lawyers will receive training on protection from different forms of discrimination using national and international instruments;

4) Intolerance towards all forms of discrimination will be promoted and reinforced in society.