The Committee for Family and Women has released a bill for public input aimed at amending family legislation, including procedures for alimony payment and sizes and protection of children's rights.

The bill has proposed setting the minimum alimony size for minor children at no less than the Minimum Consumer Expenditure (MCE) level (which defines the poverty line and serves as the benchmark for benefits, pensions, and other social payments). Currently, the minimum alimony stands at 26.5% of the Minimum Wage (MW), topping at about 336,800 soums, whereas the MCE is currently 715,000 soums for 2026. 

Key provisions of the bill include:

• Housing Guarantees: Courts would be empowered to determine not only child custody but also address housing provision for the child upon divorce.
• Visitation Schedules: The bill aims to formalize the procedure for a non-custodial parent to interact with the child through a fixed visitation schedule.
• Closing Legal Loopholes: The explanatory note highlights existing gaps in ensuring child support, particularly when the alimony payer lacks a steady income.
• Social Impact Mitigation: The draft addresses the social consequences of divorce, noting that children often return to the mother's parental home, which can disrupt the stability of the extended family.
• Marriage Contracts: The scope of prenuptial agreements would expand to include education, upbringing, and financial support of children, rather than just property issues.
• Stricter Divorce Procedures: The draft proposes that divorce petitions may be dismissed if the marriage is less than one year old, and the mandatory reconciliation attempt period could be extended to one year. 

According to the Institute for Family and Gender Studies, 55.6% of women respondents face housing difficulties after divorce, and 43.6% struggle with finances.