(September 20, 2011) The legal vulnerability of women is a major area of concern in Tajikistan, where many women do not know what their rights are, much less how to defend them when they are violated.

When employees in the local registry bureau tried to force 20-year-old Safargul Karimova to sign divorce papers issued by her husband, she refused to do so—she had learned from the Internews-supported TV program, “Khukuk” (in Tajik, “The Law”) that other options were available to her.

Karimova had watched an episode of “Khukuk” that focused on women’s legal rights during marriage and divorce proceedings. Many marriages in Tajikistan are ceremonially carried out by a mullah but never officially registered by the government. The children of these parents go undocumented, and in cases of divorce, women are left without proof of their right to housing or property.

After contacting the TV station about her experience, the station’s team helped Karimova locate free legal assistance. She brought the matter to court, accusing the registry of abusing its authority. The court ruled in Karimova’s favor, and one of the registry employees was dismissed from her job. In this way, “Khukuk” is helping Tajik citizens stand up for their rights and hold local authorities to account.

“Khukuk” is produced by the Mavdji Ozod (“Free Wave”) TV station in the Vose district of Khatlon through grant support from Internews. The show educates viewers in southwestern Tajikistan’s Khatlon Oblast about their legal rights and how to protect them. It has been on the air since late 2010 and is one of the only programs providing “news you can use” on social issues to viewers in Tajikistan. Mavdji Ozod’s programs reach a potential audience of 200,000 people in southern Tajikistan.

In addition to airing the program locally, Mavdji Ozod also uploads it to Internews’ satellite exchange network, making it available to other stations across Central Asia for rebroadcast. Established in 1991, the station was one of the first private stations in Tajikistan and is currently the only independent, nongovernmental station broadcasting in the Khatlon region.

Internews’ projects in Tajikistan are supported by the US Agency for International Development.