CENTER PROFILE
Sezim Crisis Center
BISHKEK · FOUNDED 1998 · NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
Twenty-seven years protecting women and children from the worst forms of violence. The oldest crisis center in Kyrgyzstan, and still the most determined.
ABOUT SEZIM
Kyrgyzstan's first crisis center. Still running. Still needed.
Sezim opened in 1998. That makes it the oldest organization of its kind in Kyrgyzstan, and it has run continuously ever since — through changes in government, through funding gaps, through everything. Based in Bishkek, the center has one clear mission: reduce violence against women and children, and support the survivors of it.
The center runs a residential shelter called the “Nur” Transit Social Home for women and children who cannot safely return home. The legal team handles cases across all three court instances — criminal, administrative, and civil. The 24/7 hotline takes around 1,500 calls a year. Each year, more than 1,500 survivors receive direct support.
What sets Sezim apart is that they do not close a case when a woman leaves the shelter. They stay in contact, continue legal support, and make referrals to community services until she is genuinely stable and living independently. Recovery does not end on discharge day, and Sezim treats it that way.
HOW SEZIM HELPS
Six connected services. One goal: a survivor who is safe, supported, and independent.
"Nur" Transit Social Home
Secure residential shelter for women and children who cannot go home safely. The Nur facility is designed for survivors who face ongoing danger — people who need protection while their legal situation is being resolved, not just a bed for the night.
24/7 Crisis Hotline
Around 1,500 calls a year. The line runs all day and all night, providing immediate support, safety planning, and referrals to in-person services. For many women, this phone call is the first time they have told anyone what has been happening.
Legal Aid and Court Representation
More than 900 legal consultations every year, plus active representation in 25 to 30 court cases annually — across criminal, administrative, and civil proceedings. Sezim’s lawyers do not just advise. They show up in court and they fight the case.
Psychological Support
1,680 consultations a year for adults and children. Proper, ongoing therapy — not a referral slip. Psychologists work with clients for as long as it takes, including with children who have witnessed or experienced violence.
Reintegration and Empowerment
Practical support for women rebuilding after crisis — finding employment, securing housing, restoring legal identity, and reconnecting with community. Sezim stays in contact after women leave the shelter and continues to help with whatever comes next.
Advocacy and Prevention
Community education, gender equality campaigns, and work to address the conditions that enable violence in the first place. Sezim publishes annual reports at www.sezim.org and operates with full financial transparency.
BY THE NUMBERS
1,500+
survivors supported
every year
900+
legal consultations
per year
1,680
psychological sessions
per year
27
years of continuous
operation
SUPPORT SEZIM
When you donate to Sezim, you pay for someone's day in court.
Your donation goes toward the lawyer who takes a trafficking case to court, the psychologist working with a child who has witnessed violence, and the shelter that makes it possible for a woman to testify without fear of what happens when she goes home. These are not abstract outcomes. They happen because someone funded them.
It also pays for what happens after the shelter. Sezim stays in contact with former residents — checking in, handling new legal issues as they come up, helping women access community services. Recovery takes longer than a shelter stay. Sezim knows that, and they fund it accordingly. Your support makes that possible.
0312 316 466 · 0551 316 466 · centersezim@gmail.com · www.sezim.org