AKIPRESS.COM - The year 2021 was full of events for Kyrgyzstan having presidential, local and parliamentary elections in one year. The tragic Kyrgyz-Tajik border clashes claiming lives of 36 Kyrgyz people also took place in 2021. After this shock, only the Kyrgyz Olympic medalists were able to make Kyrgyzstanis smile again.

The role of Kyrgyzstani women in all the events that took place in the country was key. In the year 2021, Kyrgyzstani women were a role model of changes in the society. Kyrgyzstani women strive to achieve new successes and fight inequality, have their names written in the history of Kyrgyzstan. The achievements of Kyrgyzstani women are a lot, and AKIpress news agency tried to explain why women are the persons of the year 2021 in Kyrgyzstan.  

Madina Rakhmatjanova

During the clashes on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border, 36 Kyrgyz citizens died, including 33 civilians and 3 soldiers. Madina Rakhmatjanova, born in 2009, was one of those killed in the armed attack.

She was hit by shell fragments in the heart, kidneys and other organs. She was left lying, her mother could not come closer because they kept shooting. It took them about 40 minutes to get to her. On the way to the hospital, the child died because she had lost a lot of blood

According to Madina's mother, she was a kind, intelligent, and nice girl. In 2016 she went to the first grade. She studied well, was an active student, who dreamed of becoming a programmer, to serve the people.

Aisuluu Tynybekova

Aisuluu Tynybekova is a Kyrgyz freestyle wrestler, 4-time Asian champion, double world champion, winner of the World Cup, and silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympic Games. During her career, Aisuluu won medals in almost all major international wrestling tournaments.

The women's wrestling team of Kyrgyzstan has improved a lot in recent years. Tynybekova has inspired many girls to take this sport seriously. One person's success can give a powerful momentum to popularizing the sport in the country.

Meerim Zhumanazarova

Meerim Jumanazarova is an Olympic bronze medalist and women's wrestling world champion. She was the first Kyrgyz woman to win an Olympic medal. After that, Zhumanazarova won a gold medal at the World Championship in Oslo.

Aiperi Medet kyzy

Aiperi Medet kyzy is a silver medalist of the World Wrestling Championship and world champion in women's wrestling (U-23).

She could not win a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in women's up to 74 kg, but later won a bronze medal at the World Championships in Oslo.

Aiperi Medet kyzy brought the gold medal in the world wrestling championship among women up to 23 years old. In the final, she defeated an athlete from Colombia.

Valentina Shevchenko

In 2021, Shevchenko defended her MMA champion's title for the 6th time at a UFC tournament. She moved up to #1 in the UFC women's rankings for the first time in her career.

This year she visited Kyrgyzstan, met her her fans, gave a master class and various trainings. A film directed by Hollywood actress Halle Berry with her comeo was released in 2021.

Nurjan Shaildabekova

In 2021, Kyrgyzstan had presidential, local and parliamentary, as well as a referendum. The Central Elections and Referenda Commission was responsible for the elections under Shaildabekova's leadership.

Aizada Kanatbekova

Aizada Kanatbekova was killed by her abductor in a high-profile case. 

Aizada was kidnapped in the morning of April 5, 2021 and was found dead on April 7 in a car outside Bishkek together with her abductor and killer Zamirbek Tenizbaev's body, who died of apparent suicide, police said. 

This crime caused a public outcry and led to punishment of 44 officers of the Interior Ministry. 

On April 8, mass protests were held in Bishkek and Osh, demanding the resignation of Interior Minister Ulan Niyazbekov and reforms in the law enforcement agencies.  

Maria Kolesnikova

Maria Kolesnikova, head of the environmental organization MoveGreen, won the prestigious UN award Champions of the Earth. Maria is an environmental activist, youth rights advocate and leader of MoveGreen, an organization that monitors and works to improve air quality in Central Asia. Under Kolesnikova's leadership, MoveGreen has developed the AQ.kg app, which updates data on concentrations of air pollutants, including PM2.5, PM10 and nitrogen dioxide, every 20 minutes in Kyrgyzstan's two largest cities, Bishkek and Osh.

Asel Sartbaeva

Asel Sartbaeva, a researcher, won the UK FDM everywoman In Technology Award for 2021.

Dr Asel Sartbaeva, researcher in Chemistry at the University of Bath, has been named 'woman of the year', scooping the top prize at the FDM everywoman in Technology Award for 2021. Mar 5, 2021. She is one of the first internationally recognized women scientists from Central Asia.

Asel Sartbaeva led a ground-breaking research to make childhood vaccines safe in all temperatures. In addition, Dr. Asel Sartbaeva has a distinctive interest in children rights and on popularization of science on among children and is currently working on the production of films for primary school children that explain experimental chemistry and processes such as crystallization and polymerization.