Women's Rights and Social Change in Chechnya

After more than a decade of intense conflict, the destruction of social services, pervasive unemployment, increasing drug and alcohol abuse and the advent of radicalized religious sentiment, the situation for women in Chechnya is grave. The state is unable, and in some cases, unwilling, to provide necessary support to at-risk women.

Non-governmental organizations aiming to improve the plight of at-risk women in regions as blighted as Chechnya must be prepared to provide an array of services, including psychological, social, legal and financial support. How does an NGO with such a broad and important mandate function with limited resources and in the face of political resistance?

OSI's Russia Project and International Women's Program hosted a talk on women's rights and social change in Chechnya with Gistam Sakaeva, program officer at the Grozny-based women's NGO Reliance and a 2008 Voices of Courage honoree of the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children. Rachel Denber, deputy director of the Europe and Central Asia Division at Human Rights Watch, provided introductory remarks.

Megan Buskey, program coordinator for the Russia Project, introduced the event.