To many clicking on to this wiki, you probably did not know what "Ala Kachuu" meant and had some type of interest. Ala Kachuu, which means "grab and run" in Kyrgyz, the language of Kyrgyzstan, is the practice of bride kidnapping in the country of Kyrgyzstan. But, what exactly is bride kidnapping?
Bride Kidnapping "is the act of abducting a woman to marry her" (Becker, Mirkasimov & Steiner, 2015). According to Handrahan (2007), the abduction victims are women who are considered to be of marrying age, 16-26. There are two types of Ala Kachuu within Kyrgyzstan: within a couple and stranger kidnappings (Vice staff, 2011). When a man reaches the age where he is expected to get married, he will begin to plan a kidnapping with his friends, who are usually supportive. This is where the two types of kidnapping begin to differ. In the case of the kidnapper and the victim that are in a relationship, this practice is expected by the girl and her family. The friends and family of the couple will work together to make sure everything can work smoothly and she can be taken.
To the outsider looking in, being able to tell the difference between consensual bride kidnapping and non-consensual bride kidnapping is nearly impossible. A car pulls up and the men run out grabbing the woman. If it is consensual, she plays her part, screaming and kicking and doing her best to resist. While she knows this means she and her partner are moving towards a larger goal of marriage, it appears no different than a woman who is genuinely fighting for her life to escape a stranger.
Even worse, non-consensual bride kidnappings are not surprising. The case of a woman walking down the street and being kidnapped in broad daylight by a man and his friends, of whom she has never met, is not unheard of, or even rare. Since the idea of ala kachuu is a rural practice, the women are usually brought to a remote village or camp they do not know, and the chance of them being saved is very small.
While the goal of the kidnapper is to marry the woman, it is the job of the women in his family to convince the woman to say yes to the marriage. However, the victim is not permitted to leave, no matter her response to the proposal. In non-consensual kidnappings, the rates of rape and physical abuse are extremely high. According to the UN (2013), of the 11,800 women kidnapped every year, about 2,000 of them are reported to also be raped. Of course, it is expected that not all cases of rape are even reported, making the true numbers higher.
NGO Public Foundation Open Line did a study by interviewing 268 women who had been kidnapped as a part of this ritual. Reportedly, 50% of the women had never met their kidnappers before the day. Of that 50%, 81% were forced to marry their kidnapper. 74.2% were threatened with beatings, rape, or death if they refuse, and 23% were raped before their marriage (Equality Now, 2011).
Many may wonder why the problem is not being combated and why the government is not trying to solve it. It is a rural practice and, to many urban Kyrgyzstan dwellers, the desire to fight what is going on outside of their view is lacking. Recently, the death rates for women forced into these marriages, both from suicide and murder, has begun to increase.
The turning point came in 2018. A 20-year old student, Burulai Turdaaly Kyzy (pictured above), had been kidnapped by a bus driver she did not know. Twice. The first time ended when her family tracked her down, rescued her, and called the police. The man was arrested but released with the promise that he would not do it again. Kyzy was sent to live in a different city, but after a few months of safety, she decided to come back to her home town. The bus driver saw her again and kidnapped her for a second time. Once again, saved by her father, the police helped rescue Kyzy and arrested the kidnapper. The police, however, decided to place both Kyzy and her kidnapper into the same room of the police station until her father came to pick her up. The kidnapper pulled out a knife, stabbed her three times, carved his initials into her, and then plunged the knife into himself. While the man survived and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, she died right there in the police station (Putz, 2018). With the murder taking place within a police station, the citizens of the country began to wonder about the problems they faced; was this a sign that the government and the police simply do not care?
The police chief of the station, the police chief of the district, and the two officers who made the decision were all fired without warning. 19 other officers were either demoted or suffered a strict pay decrease (Kyrgyzstan Ministry of Internal Affairs, 2018). But, to the family of the victim and to many women of Kyrgyzstan, this was the final straw.
Those that commit bride kidnapping, or in more casual speak, "bridenapping," argue that the practice is a part of their tradition, and dates back to the history of the pastoral people who once lived in the area. Kyrgyz politicians, activists, and historians argue that this was never the case. Those in the dominant religion also protest against the practice, yet women rarely speak up against it, "Islamic dignitaries in Kyrgyzstan emphasize repeatedly and publicly that a Muslim marriage must be contracted by mutual consent… Girls are taught to obey their elders, and this is what prevents the majority from protesting when they are kidnapped and forced into marriage" (Schlager, 2010).
The government has even begun trying to take a stand. Before 2013, the punishment for kidnapping women was 5-7 years. In January 2013, the former president of Kyrgyzstan, Almazbek Atambayev, signed a law passed by parliament that increased the punishment to over 10 years. The UN and other rights groups claimed this was a move in the right direction, but did not forget to mention that no matter what the law is, the goal is to increase enforcement of it. This is where the problem lies.
In urban environments, police take a very active role in arresting bride kidnappers and using justice against them. But, in the rural areas where the practice is commonplace, police officers, despite knowing it is illegal, refuse to enforce it as they see the practice to be as Kyrgyz as their own family. People in villages who wish the police would enforce it are faced with an unsolvable problem. Wanting to fix the ideology of the police would require the removal of all police officers to be replaced with new ones. This creates a stronger desire to have a police force that is willing to stop more violent crimes and compromising on the lack of enforcement against the kidnappings.
Women are also shamed for being kidnapped as a result of the kidnappings. They claim the women put themselves into the vulnerable position or they are shamed for trying to leave the marriage, claiming the woman is going against her own culture and traditions. Women in Kyrgyzstan believe this shame can become internalized and will lead to those women shaming others, "Most cases did not make it to court as women retracted their statements, often under pressure from female family members, fearing public shaming for disobedience or not longer being a virgin (Voanews, 2019).
To many Kyrgyz women, the solution needs to come from the women who have been kidnapped. When they can refuse the marriage, walk away, and begin to report the men who kidnapped them. The police will begin to feel the pressure, and change will have to occur. Whether this change will come soon or later, the women hope international pressure will help push the government and the victims to act.
The Vice documentary is what made me interested in this topic. Before I watched it, I had ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA bride kidnapping was even a phenomenon. But, this documentary opened my eyes. It shows a bride kidnapping from start to finish (it was the consensual kind, but still, it is eye-opening). I urge everyone to watch it… it will change your life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKAusMNTNnk
Human Rights Watch made an article talking about the murder of Burulai Turdaaly Kyzy. This murder is what sparked many young women to take a stand against the practice after years and years of silence. It is well worth a read: https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/05/31/young-womans-murder-kyrgyzstan-shows-cost-tradition#
The family of Burulai Turdaaly Kyzy made a video about their daughter, explaining the kidnapping. The same video also shows a part of the police's press conference about the murder. Watching this video further shows how the murder was considered to be a final straw to many people: https://www.rferl.org/a/kyrgyzstan-punishes-several-police-officers-over-deadly-bride-kidnapping/29270910.html
This movie, produced by the UNDP, UNICEF, and the British Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, is short but powerful. It shows both sides of the coin, the family of the kidnappers who are traditional, and the family of the girl who is kidnapped who are against the practice. In the end, it shows why sometimes, it might be difficult for the girl to get away on her own. This is definitely a movie to be watched, especially with it being powerful in the 14 minutes it takes to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CH-8R34Xi0
Becker, Charles M., Mirkasimov, B. & Steiner, S. (2015). Forced marriage and birth outcomes (No.35). University of Central Asia.
Equality Now (2011). Kyrgyzsrtan: Call to end bride kidnapping. Retrieved from https://www.equalitynow.org/kyrgyzstan_call_to_end_bride_kidnapping
Handrahan, L. (2007). Hunting for women: Bride-kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan. International feminist journal of politics, 6(2), 207-233.
Jones, A. (2017). Babies of kidnapped brides suffer, too. Retrieved from https://today.duke.edu/2017/08/babies-kidnapped-brides-suffer-too
Kleinbach, R. & Salimjanova, L. (2007). Kyz ala kachuu and adat: Non-consensual bride kidnapping and tradition in Kyrgyzstan. Central Asian survey 2, 217-233.
Kyrgyzstan Ministry of Internal Affairs (2018). ПРИКАЗОМ МВД КЫРГЫЗСКОЙ РЕСПУБЛИКИ НАЗНАЧЕНЫ РЯД РУКОВОДИТЕЛЕЙ ГУВД ЧУЙСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ. Retrieved from https://mvd.gov.kg/index.php/rus/mass-media/all-news/item/7712-mvd-zaversheno-sluzhebnoe-rassledovanie-v-otnoshenii-sotrudnikov-militsii-po-faktu-ubijstva-sovershennoe-v-zdanii-ovd-zhajylskogo-rajona
Kyrgyzstan Women Assistance Center (n.d.). Retrieved from http://wsc.kg/
Putz, C. (2018). A bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan ends in a young woman's death. Retrieved from https://thediplomat.com/2018/06/a-bride-kidnapping-in-kyrgyzstan-ends-in-a-young-womans-death/
Radio Free Europe & Radio Liberty's Kyrygz Service (2018). Kyrgyz police officers punished over deadly bride kidnapping. Retrieved from https://www.rferl.org/a/kyrgyzstan-punishes-several-police-officers-over-deadly-bride-kidnapping/29270910.html
Schlager, E. (2010). Bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan: A fateful tradition. Retrieved from https://en.qantara.de/content/bride-kidnapping-in-kyrgyzstan-a-fateful-tradition
UN Women (2013), New law in Kyrgyzstan toughens penalties for bride kidnapping. Retrieved from https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2013/2/new-law-in-kyrgyzstan-toughens-penalties-for-bride-kidnapping
Vashchenko, V. (2018). UN statement on bride kidnapping and child marriage. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/kyrgyzstan/press-releases/un-statement-bride-kidnapping-and-child-marriage
Vice Staff (2011). Bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2011/12/07/world/asia/vice-bride-kidnapping/index.html
Voanews (2019). Kyrgyzstan women fighting to end bride kidnapping. Retrieved from https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/kyrgyzstan-women-fight-end-bride-kidnapping
Zhao, Lin (2017). Bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan. Duke University.