She emphasized that the Kyrgyz Republic faces a serious challenge in combating violence. Despite the existence of government programs and strategies, their implementation is impossible without qualified specialists who work in crisis centers, institutions that assist children affected by violence, as well as in shelters for homeless children and those from disadvantaged families.
“Currently, the salaries of psychologists, lawyers, and social workers are around 15,000 soms. This is an extremely low level, considering that the average salary in the country reaches 45,000 soms. The difference is evident,” she noted.
Low salaries lead to a shortage of staff and high turnover among employees.
Turdubekova pointed out the need to attract professionals who have skills in violence prevention, rehabilitation, and case management. Work in the social sector requires high qualifications and significant emotional investment; however, the current state of wages does not allow for retaining and attracting the necessary personnel.
“We are already observing real consequences: one caregiver serves many children; employees are overloaded, and the quality of services provided suffers. A recent incident involving a group of children escaping from a shelter is a troubling signal. These situations are directly related to the lack of staff and the inability to provide the necessary attention and support. The question arises: how can we effectively protect children without guardianship, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups with such limited resources? Without investment in human capital, social policy loses its effectiveness,” she added.
According to her, increasing the salaries of social institution employees is not only a matter of justice but also of child safety, violence prevention, and sustainable societal development.
Recently, it was reported that eight teenagers, residents of the rehabilitation center "Akniet," are being sought in Bishkek.
