Through a unique theatre experience, university students, faculty, and administrators of several Bishkek-based universities as well as representatives of government agencies, civil society, and regional NGOs are better prepared to take on gender-related issues. On May 31, 30 participants gathered to attend the “Theatre of the Oppressed,” a workshop used to raise awareness on gender issues such as domestic violence and harassment, and to empower and educate participants in ways to advocate for women’s rights. In this interactive Forum Theater format event, professional actors and the theater director perform various real-life cases that embody relevant gender related issues in society. Participants are invited to be part of the performance, introducing their own solutions to resolve the issues, the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan reported.
The project is being conducted by a team of volunteers from the C5+1 Youth Council in Almaty, Kazakhstan and in Bishkek, Kara- Balta, Tokmok, and Sokuluk in the Kyrgyz Republic from April through June 2024.
Since 2016, the C5+1 Youth Council program has been bringing together university students from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan to develop a regional network of civically engaged and English-speaking youth leaders across Central Asia who work to advance C5+1 priorities. It is administered by the American University of Central Asia with a grant from the U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic. C5+1 Youth Council members and alumni conduct up to eight youth-led projects every year that align with the C5+1 platform agenda: Peace and Security, Economic Growth, Energy and Environment, People-to-People Connections. Currently, the C5+1 Youth Council network includes 57 members and 157 alumni from Central Asia and Afghanistan.
Photo: U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan
