Kazakhstan has criminalized domestic violence against women and children, after President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a new law on Monday.
Those convicted of causing harm to or beating a woman or a child are to face tougher punishment under the new law, including prison sentences in more serious cases.
The aim is to enhance the rights of women and children, according to media reports in the authoritarian former Soviet republic.
Centres to assist families that have experienced domestic violence are also to be set up.
Media reports suggest that many perpetrators could be jailed, as children in Kazakhstan regularly face corporal punishment as part of their upbringing. The authorities expect that up to 5,000 additional places may be needed in prisons.
In the past, perpetrators of domestic violence have usually gone unpunished and their victims have had few opportunities to act against them.