A clan-based organization
Clan membership is a defining element of society in Kyrgyzstan, as in the whole of Central Asia. In Kyrgyzstan, there are two main clans: the northern and southern clans. The nomadic castes lead 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, head of an administration, director of a factory or president of the republic, the members of his extended family will invest the new territory thus offered and will take all the operating posts. Without belonging to a clan, an individual is nothing and cannot hope for any lasting success in his personal or professional life. At the 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 to a large extent, after independence. Travelling on horseback, living off the products of livestock farming and living in yurts in summer are now a commonplace and a way of life unique in the world. The yurt alone is a concentrate of all the nomadic traditions found in Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It is a highly codified habitat that reflects 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 Central Asian Socialist Republics, had resulted in almost universal literacy among the local populations. The task had sometimes been arduous, as some of the countries, particularly Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, had originally had 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% of the population had never had access to secondary education. Despite the lack of financial resources, almost all Central Asian countries have attempted to launch wide-ranging reforms of their education systems. All are moving in the same direction: the renationalization of education. Kyrgyzstan nevertheless has a peculiarity in comparison with its neighbours, who emphasize the national language: the Kyrgyz Republic retains a national language, Kyrgyzstan, and an official language, Russian. Both are taught at school. Generally speaking, at present, access to higher education remains extremely selective throughout Central Asia. University entrance is only possible through competitive examinations, and the number of graduates from higher education rarely exceeds 10 per cent of the population. On the other hand, all countries recognize the compulsory nature of primary and secondary schooling, and the literacy rate has not declined significantly since the end of the Soviet era, although educational conditions have often deteriorated: premises are often dilapidated, students receive few scholarships, and teachers, who are poorly or not at all well paid, often demand 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 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 in the family. Kyrgyzstan's history and literature, for example, mentions several women who became leaders of their clan (see box "Kyrgyz Amazons" in the "History" dossier). Even today, Kyrgyzstan is still one of the countries with the highest number of women in economic and political leadership positions. For example, the country has had a woman, Roza Otunbayeva, at the posts of Minister of Education and then of Foreign Affairs, ambassador to the United States and Canada. In the most recent legislative elections in 2015, a quota was established, requiring each party to present 35 per cent women. Parity is still a long way off, but a trend is emerging.
... and in social reality!
The place of women is also central to many nomadic traditions, particularly with regard to marriages, which are almost always arranged at an early age, and which give rise to equestrian events that are sometimes violent. In this respect, the country gives the impression that it is making progress, at least on paper. At the beginning of 2013, it passed a law to punish marriages by kidnapping (one woman in three in Kyrgyzstan is said to be married after having been kidnapped and united by force with an unselected husband). At the same time, it prohibits young women aged 23 from leaving the country without their parents' consent. Initially voted to combat the trafficking of prostitutes, this law was nevertheless perceived as liberticidal by many Kyrgyz people. Prostitution has become a real gangrene in Kyrgyzstan, particularly in Bishkek, where it is estimated that more than half of prostitutes are minors.
A (too?) festive country?
Kyrgyzstan, like its Central Asian neighbours, is not spared from a phenomenon that is increasingly worrying in the eyes of the governments concerned: Kyrgyz people like to party! Weddings, funerals, circumcisions... the pomp of these ceremonies, a guarantee of social recognition, pushes Kyrgyz families into debt over the years to finance a few hours of "bling bling". In Bishkek, no wedding without a limousine or a well-known singer who is well paid. In total, it is estimated that Kyrgyz people spend nearly $45 million each year on ceremonies and ritual celebrations. A drop in the bucket compared to what is done in Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan, but a worrying amount that far exceeds the financial capacities of many families.
