The Government is particularly concerned about its dwindling population, the brain drain to Russia and the West, the perilous state of the economy, and the health and educational status of its citizens. According to the UN's Common Country Assessment in 2004, the right to human development and well-being is an over-riding concern.
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The rate of sexually-transmitted infections has increased over the past 15 years. The incidence of syphilis, for instance, has increased from 20.4 cases per 100,000 people in 1991 to 94.7 cases per 100,000 people in 2002. Over half of those suffering from a venereal disease are women.
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The feminization of poverty appears to be worsening. Women earn, on average, nearly one third less than men doing the same jobs. Women-headed households are more likely to be poor than those headed by men. Over 40 per cent of women-headed households had low living standards compared to 27 per cent headed by men.
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Gender-based violence is increasing in scope and severity. According to informal surveys over 80 per cent of respondents know cases of domestic violence or abuse. With drug abuse and alcoholism on the rise – there are 50,000 registered alcoholics in the country and a culture of silence surrounding the issue – the problem is likely to get much worse before the country is able to come to terms with it.
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Trafficking in women and girls continues unabated. Despite a law against trafficking in human beings, particularly for the sex trade in Russia and the Middle East, the practice is widespread. Estimates of the number of young women trafficked for sex varies from 17,000 to 140,000.
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The maternal mortality rate remains too high. More efforts are needed to upgrade health facilities and improve the quality of reproductive health care and family planning services offered, particularly in rural areas.
