According to Dzhumanalieva, women who have left their abusers and have children together often have to seek alimony. However, mothers with stable financial situations rarely apply for alimony; the need mainly arises for women who find themselves in difficult life circumstances, including mothers of children with disabilities.
“In the process of applying for alimony, violence transforms from physical to psychological and economic, and also takes on bureaucratic forms. Abusers typically use children, financial dependence, and the legal system as tools for control and revenge. Women find themselves in a constant state of stress, fear, and depression, and they have to fight for every penny, every document, and every step in the interests of their children,” she noted in her presentation.
Additionally, Aizhan Dzhumanalieva emphasized that the process of collecting alimony is extremely complicated, and even obtaining necessary funds for children's treatment can be difficult. Women often bear the financial burden associated with paying for legal services and court costs, and access to free legal assistance is not always available.
Among the bureaucratic obstacles reported by the lawyer, the following can be highlighted:
- inadequate amounts of alimony;
- slow or ineffective work by bailiffs;
- concealment of debtors' income.
“Furthermore, some parents who did not care for their children in childhood try to return to them for support in old age,” Dzhumanalieva added.
