A clan-based organization
In Kyrgyzstan, as in the rest of Central Asia, clan membership is a defining element of society. In Kyrgyzstan, there are two main clans: the northern clan and the southern clan. The nomadic castes run all political, economic and daily life, as they did before the arrival of the communists. When a member of a noble family becomes a minister, the head of an administration, the director of a factory or the president of the Republic, the members of his extended family will take over the new territory thus offered and take over all the operating posts. Without belonging to a clan, an individual is nothing, and can hope for no lasting personal or professional success. At family level, this clan system also dictates marriage policies, and forced marriage remains a sad constant in the country.
The return to nomadism
Kyrgyzstan is a country where nomadism reappeared very quickly, and in large numbers, after independence. Travelling on horseback, living off livestock and living in yurts in summer are now commonplace and unique in the world. The yurt is a concentration of all nomadic traditions, found in Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It's a highly codified habitat, reflecting both the conception of the universe and social practices.
A poor education system reserved for the elite
The Soviet education system, imposed in all the socialist republics of Central Asia, had led to almost universal literacy among the local populations. This was not always an easy task, as some of the countries, particularly Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, started out with extremely low literacy rates. The end of the Soviet Union and independence forced the new Central Asian countries to take charge of their own education systems. Despite the lack of recent figures, it appears that in the early 2000s, almost 20% of the population over the age of 6 had never received a primary education, and almost 60% had never had access to secondary education. Despite the lack of financial resources, almost all Central Asian countries have attempted to launch far-reaching reforms of their education systems. All are moving in the same direction: the renationalization of education. However, Kyrgyzstan is different from its neighbors in that it emphasizes the national language: the Kyrgyz Republic has one national language, Kyrgyz, and one official language, Russian. Both are taught in schools. Generally speaking, access to higher education remains extremely selective throughout Central Asia. Entry to university is by competitive examination only, and the number of university graduates rarely exceeds 10% of the population. On the other hand, all countries recognize the compulsory nature of primary and secondary schooling, and the literacy rate has not fallen significantly since the end of the Soviet era, although teaching conditions have often deteriorated: premises are often dilapidated, students receive few scholarships and teachers, who are poorly paid, often demand baksheesh (bribes) from their students.
The special place of women in history..
In countries with nomadic cultures, women generally have a more enviable position than in the sedentary civilizations of the same region. Traditionally, although still in patriarchal societies, women shared the work of men, with whom they were more or less on an equal footing within the family. The history and literature of Kyrgyzstan, for example, tell of several women who became leaders of their clans (see the "Kyrgyz Amazons" box in the "History" dossier). Even today, Kyrgyzstan is one of the countries with the highest number of women in positions of economic or political responsibility. For example, the country has had a woman, Roza Otunbayeva, in the posts of Minister of Education and then of Foreign Affairs, and ambassador to the United States and Canada. In the last parliamentary elections in 2015, a quota was established requiring each party to present 35% women candidates. Parity is still a long way off, but a trend is emerging.
... and in social reality!
The role of women is also central to many nomadic traditions, particularly when it comes to marriages, which are almost always arranged from an early age, giving rise to sometimes violent equestrian demonstrations. In this respect, the country seems to be making progress, at least on paper. In early 2013, it passed a law to punish marriages by abduction (one woman in three in Kyrgyzstan is said to be married after being abducted and forcibly united to an unchosen husband). At the same time, he banned young women under the age of 23 from leaving the country without parental consent. Initially passed to combat the trafficking of prostitutes, this law was nonetheless perceived as liberticidal by many Kyrgyz. Prostitution has become a veritable gangrene in Kyrgyzstan, particularly in Bishkek, where it is estimated that over half of all prostitutes are minors. A number of associations and groups are working to assert women's rights in the country, including Initiatives Féministes in Bishkek (www.facebook.com/bishkekfeminists).
A (too?) festive country?
Kyrgyzstan, like its Central Asian neighbors, is not immune to a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly worrying for the governments concerned: Kyrgyz people love to party! Weddings, funerals, circumcisions... the pomp of these ceremonies, a token of social recognition, pushes Kyrgyz families into years of debt to finance a few hours of "bling bling". In Bishkek, there's no wedding without a limousine and a famous singer. In all, it is estimated that Kyrgyz spend almost $45 million a year on ceremonies and ritual celebrations. A drop in the bucket compared to Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan, but a disturbing amount that far exceeds the financial capacities of many families.
