After the event, participants faced a wave of criticism and harassment on social media, where they were accused of violating traditional values.
The situation was discussed on the UTRK broadcast, where several participants were invited, including member of the Jogorku Kenesh Elvira Surabaldiyeva, who also took part in the event.
The organizers claim that at the beginning of the broadcast, a video was shown featuring three girls holding a poster with text in Kyrgyz:
“Биз алардын ата-энесинин жумушун аткарууга милдеттүү эмеспиз” (“We are not obligated to do the work of their parents”).
Activists emphasize that such a poster was not present at the actual event, and the image shows signs of generation: buildings that do not exist in Bishkek are visible in the background, and people in the background appear distorted.
This image was actively circulated on social media on March 8-9 and was used to criticize the participants of the event. One of the first to publish it was blogger Myrzaly Kurmanbekov on Instagram, which led to hundreds of likes and thousands of comments, most of which were negative.
The organizers believe that such images distort reality and enhance the negative perception of the event in society.
In their opinion, the state television channel should carefully verify the information it broadcasts, considering its wide audience.
Activists also reminded that March 8 events are held to draw attention to the problems of violence and discrimination faced by women.
According to human rights organizations, thousands of cases of domestic violence are recorded annually in Kyrgyzstan, and from 2022 to September 2024, 34 cases of women's murders were recorded. In 2023, Kyrgyzstan was recognized for the second time as the most unsafe country for women in Central Asia according to the Global Peace Index and Women’s Safety (WPS Index).
