Kazakh Feminist LGBT Activist Arrested

Zhanar Sekerbayeva, a feminist activist from Kazakhstan, was arrested on August 9. She was detained in jail for several days, and today she was found guilty of “minor hooliganism.”

Her crime was an attempt to end the taboo of menstruation in Kazakhstan by drawing a picture of a menstruating woman. During the trial, she was asked degrading questions related to her private life, according to human rights groups.

A spokesperson from Amnesty International confirmed that "The judge asked Zhanar Sekerbayeva inappropriate questions about her private life such as 'Are you married? Do you have any children? Are you pregnant?' and interrogated her about the poster."

Sekerbayeva is the co-founder of the Kazakhstani feminist group Feminita. According to the group, menstruation is seen as something “dirty” in Kazakhstan, and they work to speak up against these traditional stereotypes.

Sekerbayeva said after the trial that "All this once again shows [her] and [her] sisters that [they] are on the right track, feminism in Kazakhstan is necessary and [they] will not remain silent."

By Antoine Dewaest

Photo: Feminita