LATENT «VICTIM BLAMING» AS A BARRIER TO WOMENʼS ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES IN UZBEKISTAN
Keywords:
victim blaming; domestic violence; access to justice; Uzbekistan; secondary victimization; reconciliation; mahalla; patriarchal norms; gender-based violence; legal barriersAbstract
This article examines the latent mechanism of victim blaming as a structural barrier to women's access to justice in cases of domestic violence in Uzbekistan. Drawing upon the findings of a dissertation study, the legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan (2019–2026), data from the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the National Agency for Social Protection, as well as reports and materials from CEDAW, UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA, WHO, and UNODC, the study provides a systematic assessment of the factors that shape an informal quasi-presumption of the victim's guilt. The findings indicate that despite the criminalization of domestic violence (Law No. ZRU-829, April 2023) and the expansion of the national protection infrastructure, more than 55% of cases are terminated through reconciliation, while over 90% of victims remain without legal representation. The study identifies three interconnected levels of latent barriers: the macro-social level (patriarchal norms), the meso-social level (the institution of reconciliation and the role of the mahalla), and the micro-social level (economic dependence and social stigma). An original model of latent barriers is proposed, illustrating the pathway from primary victimization to secondary victimization and, ultimately, to systemic impunity. Based on this model, the study formulates recommendations for improving criminal procedural, social, and institutional practices aimed at strengthening victims' access to justice and enhancing the effectiveness of protection mechanisms in cases of domestic violence.
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