Women in Azerbaijan

Last updated
Women in Azerbaijan
Azad Qadin heyk@li - panoramio.jpg
Statue of a Liberated Woman, Public Quare, Baku.
General Statistics
Maternal mortality  (per 100,000)26 (2017)
Women in parliament 17.3% (2020)
Women over 25 with secondary education 90.0% (2010)
Women in labour force63.3% (2019)
Gender Inequality Index [1]
Value0.294 (2021)
Rank70th out of 191
Global Gender Gap Index [2]
Value0.687 (2022)
Rank101st out of 146

Women in Azerbaijan nominally enjoy the same legal rights as men; however, societal discrimination remains a problem. [3] Baku Research Institute reports that: "Violations of privacy in political and social relations, such as interfering in private life, the sharing of private information, and unauthorized access to private space, are widespread in Azerbaijan". [4]

Contents

Voting rights

Universal suffrage was introduced in Azerbaijan in 1919 by the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, thus making Azerbaijan the first Muslim-majority country ever to enfranchise women. [5]

Political representation

The State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs of Azerbaijan Republic is the primary government agency overlooking the activities in protection of rights of women in the country. There are no legal restrictions on the participation of women in politics. As of 2020, there were 22 women in the 125-seat parliament, including the Speaker of the National Assembly. The percentage of female members of parliament increased from 11 to 17.6 percent between 2005 and 2020. [6]

In 2017, Mehriban Aliyeva (the president's wife) was appointed Vice President of Azerbaijan, the highest position a woman has occupied in Azerbaijan since the abolition in 1994 of the office of Secretary of State most recently occupied by Lala Shovkat.

In 2020, Sahiba Gafarova was appointed the Speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan. As of the same year, Azerbaijan had one female cabinet minister (Mahabbat Valiyeva, Minister of Education), one regional cabinet minister (Natavan Gadimova, Minister of Culture of the Nakhchivan AR), [7] one state committee chair (Bahar Muradova, chair of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs), one head of a regional executive government (Irada Gulmammadova, head of the Absheron District), [8] Commissioner for Human Rights (Sabina Aliyeva), three ambassadors and one head of a diplomatic office. [9] Women constituted 3 of the 16 members of the Central Election Commission [10] and chaired 4 of the 125 district election commissions. [11] Despite the fact that as of 2016, 11% of the country's professional judges were women (including Sona Salmanova, Deputy Chair of the Constitutional Court), [12] this remains the lowest proportion in Europe. [13]

Gender-based reprisals against women

In May 2021, Amnesty International published a briefing on gender-based reprisals against women in Azerbaijan, documenting systematic attempts to defame and silence women activists and their partners through smear campaigns, accusations, as well as blackmail by hacking to their social network accounts and publishing of private information, including material of sexual nature. [14] Amnesty International’s Researcher on South Caucasus, Natalia Nozadze, stated that:  “The pattern and methods of these gendered reprisals and the fact that the targets are women who have exposed human rights violations or been critical of the authorities, strongly indicates that the Azerbaijani authorities are either directly responsible or complicit in these crimes. It is the repressive government of Azerbaijan that stands to benefit from these dirty methods”. [15]

According to OCCRP "in recent years Azerbaijan has seen a spate of personal content released online. Many suspect the Azerbaijani government, noting that activists and journalists have been frequent targets." and the revealing photos and videos on social media are used as a tool of "revenge against speaking out". [16]

Participation in the job market

Though the majority of Azerbaijani women have jobs outside the home, women are underrepresented in high-level jobs, including top business positions. [3]

As of 2017, 78.1% of all teaching staff (including 51.9% of all university lecturers), 64.9% of all medical staff and 40.2% of athletes in Azerbaijan were women. However, for the same period, women accounted for just 28.7% of civil servants and 20.9% of registered business owners. [17]

Military

In 1931, Leyla Mammadbeyova, born in Baku, became one of the first Soviet female aviators and paratroopers, the first one in the Caucasus and the Middle East. Around 600,000 natives of Azerbaijan fought in World War II as part of the Red Army, with 10,000 of those being women who had voluntarily signed up and served both as military and medical personnel, the most prominent ones being sniper Ziba Ganiyeva and pilot Zuleykha Seyidmammadova. [18] During the active phase of the first Nagorno-Karabakh War in the 1990s, 2,000 of Azerbaijan's 74,000 military personnel were women, and 600 of them directly took part in the military operations. [19] Military service for women is voluntary; currently there are around 1,000 women serving in the Azerbaijani army. [20]

Religion

Though a secular country, Azerbaijan requires certification and registration for people performing religious rites. Muslim women in Azerbaijan can study to become certified mullahs and lead women-only gatherings, a unique local tradition that goes back centuries. [21] As of 2016, there was one local female Lutheran pastor in Azerbaijan. [22]

Domestic violence

On 22 June 2010, the Azerbaijani Parliament adopted the Law on Prevention of Domestic Violence. [23]

In 2000, Azerbaijan signed up to the Optional Protocol of CEDAW, recognizing the competence of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, after which it can receive and consider complaints from individuals or groups within its jurisdiction. [24]

Rape is illegal in Azerbaijan and carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence. [3] A new domestic violence law come into force in 2010, which criminalized spousal abuse, including marital rape. [25] [26] Nevertheless, others highlight that in reality many in Azerbaijan do not consider this as a crime and the prevailing culture does not encourage complaints about marital rape. [27]

During 2011 female members of parliament and the head of the State Committee on Women and Children increased their activities against domestic violence. Media coverage of domestic violence issues also began to raise awareness of the problem. A 2010 law establishes a framework for investigation of domestic violence complaints, defines a process to issue restraining orders, and calls for the establishment of a shelter and rehabilitation center for victims. [3]

However societal attitudes lag behind: 40% of Azerbaijanis surveyed in 2012 still believed that agree that women should tolerate domestic violence in order to keep their family together, and 22% agreed that there are times when a woman deserves to be beaten. [28] The 2006 renaming of the state Committee on Women's Issues as the State Committee on Family, Women and Children’s Affairs (SCFWCA) has also been interpreted by some as a protectionist approach that views women as vulnerable “reproductive units" rather than independent individuals. [24]

In July 2021, women’s rights activists brought a coffin to the Interior Ministry to protest and raise awareness of the recent increase in domestic violence against women. Police detained three activists and removed the others from the area. The detainees were released soon after being detained. [29]

According to Norwegian Helsinki Committee report in 2021 a growing number of domestic violence cases endangers women’s lives in Azerbaijan. The report namely "exposes serious gaps in the authorities’ response to domestic violence, including inadequate enforcement of existing legislation, and a failure to hold abusers accountable and ensure access to justice for survivors", highlighting that abuse is still widely perceived as a “family matter” and is underreported to police. [30]

Prostitution

Prostitution is an administrative offense rather than a crime and is punishable by a fine of up to $102 (88 AZN). [3] Pimps and brothel owners may be sentenced to prison for up to six years. [3]

Timeline of women's emancipation

Note that this includes the period of time when Azerbaijan was a part of the Soviet Union, i.e.Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic

YearEventLocation
1889 Nigar Shikhlinskaya became the first Azerbaijani female to obtain a higher education. [31] Tiflis
1901 Empress Alexandra School, the first Azerbaijani secular girls' school and the first of such kind in the Russian Empire, opened. [32] Baku
1908 Saint Petersburg Women's Medical College graduate Sona Valikhan became the first certified Azerbaijani female physician. [33] Saint Petersburg
1908Philanthropist Hamida Javanshir founded the first Azerbaijani coeducational school. [34] Kahrizli
1910Actress Govhar Gaziyeva became the first Azerbaijani woman to appear on stage. [35] Tiflis
1911 Khadija Alibeyova published Ishig , the first Azerbaijani-language women's newspaper. [36] Tiflis
1912The first Azerbaijani female opera singer Shovkat Mammadova made her first stage performance. [37] Baku
1919Azerbaijani women were granted the right to vote. [38]
1929 Izzet Orujova became the first Azerbaijani female actress to act in a feature film. [39]
1930Gynaecologist Adila Shakhtakhtinskaya became the first Azerbaijani woman to earn a doctoral degree. [40]
1931 Leyla Mammadbeyova performed her first flight and became the first Azerbaijani female aviator. [41] Baku
1932The first Azerbaijani ballerina Gamar Almaszadeh debuted in Shakh-Senem. [42] Baku
1938People's Commissar of Justice Ayna Sultanova became the first Azerbaijani female cabinet minister. [43]
1949Biologist Valida Tutayug became the first Azerbaijani female member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (founded in 1945). [44]
1964 Sakina Aliyeva was elected Chair of the Supreme Soviet of Nakhchivan, becoming the first Azerbaijani female head of parliament. [45] Nakhchivan
2007Manzar Ismayilova became the first Azerbaijani female pastor. [46]
2009Natavan Mirvatova was promoted to major general, the third highest military rank in Azerbaijan and the highest a female has ever been elevated to. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azerbaijan</span> Country straddling West Asia and Eastern Europe in the Caucusus

Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia and Turkey to the west, and Iran to the south. Baku is the capital and largest city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azerbaijani Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces is the military of the Republic of Azerbaijan. It was re-established according to the country's Law of the Armed Forces on 9 October 1991. The original Azerbaijan Democratic Republic's armed forces were dissolved after Azerbaijan was absorbed into the Soviet Union as the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic from 28 April 1920. After the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991–92, Azerbaijan's armed forces were reformed based on Soviet bases and equipment left on Azerbaijani soil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic</span> Exclave of Azerbaijan

The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is a landlocked exclave of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The region covers 5,502.75 km2 (2,124.62 sq mi) with a population of 459,600. It is bordered by Armenia to the east and north, Iran to the southwest, and Turkey to the west. It is the sole autonomous republic of Azerbaijan, governed by its own elected legislature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heydar Aliyev</span> President of Azerbaijan from 1993 to 2003

Heydar Alirza oghlu Aliyev was an Azerbaijani politician who was the third president of Azerbaijan from October 1993 to October 2003, and a Soviet party boss in the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic from 1969 onwards.

Azerbaijan is administratively divided into 69 districts and 11 cities that are subordinate to the Republic. Out of these, 7 districts and 1 city is located within the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The districts are further divided into municipalities.

Aliyev, Aliyeva for females, is a surname originating from the Caucasus and Central Asia. The surname is a Russian-language patronymic derivation from the Arabic male given name Ali and literally means Ali's. Lithuanized form: Alijevas.

Dowry deaths are deaths of married women who are murdered or driven to suicide over disputes about dowry. Dowry deaths are found predominantly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Iran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azerbaijani Land Forces</span> Ground warfare branch of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces

The Azerbaijani Land Forces are the land force component of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan has been trying to create professional, well trained, and mobile armed forces. Based on 2013 statistics, the country has about 56,850 ground force troops, with additional paramilitary forces of 15,000. In addition, there are 300,000 former service personnel who have had military service in the last fifteen years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mehriban Aliyeva</span> Vice President of Azerbaijan since 2017

Mehriban Arif gizi Aliyeva is an Azerbaijani politician and physician who is the vice president and First Lady of Azerbaijan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights in Azerbaijan</span> Overview of human rights in Azerbaijan

International organizations have frequently alleged that Azerbaijan has violated human rights standards established in international law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aziz Aliyev</span> Azerbaijani Soviet scientist and politician

Aziz Mammad Karim oghlu Aliyev was an Azerbaijani, Dagestani, and Soviet politician, scientist, and member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He was the father-in-law of Azerbaijan's President Heydar Aliyev, who married his daughter Zarifa Aliyeva, and maternal grandfather of Azerbaijan's current President Ilham Aliyev and brother of Shamama Alasgarova, who was a doctor.

Armenians in Azerbaijan are the Armenians who lived in great numbers in the modern state of Azerbaijan and its precursor, Soviet Azerbaijan. According to the statistics, about 500,000 Armenians lived in Soviet Azerbaijan prior to the outbreak of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1988. Most of the Armenian-Azerbaijanis however had to flee the republic, like Azerbaijanis in Armenia, in the events leading up to the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, a result of the ongoing Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. Atrocities directed against the Armenian population took place in Sumgait, Ganja and Baku. Today the vast majority of Armenians in Azerbaijan live in territory controlled by the break-away region Nagorno-Karabakh which declared its unilateral act of independence in 1991 under the name Nagorno-Karabakh Republic but has not been recognised by any country, including Armenia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in Armenia</span> Overview of the status of women in Armenia

Women in Armenia have had equal rights, including the right to vote, since the establishment of the First Republic of Armenia. On June 21 and 23, 1919, the first direct parliamentary elections were held in Armenia under universal suffrage - every person over the age of 20 had the right to vote regardless of gender, ethnicity or religious beliefs. The 80-seat legislature, charged with setting the foundation for an Armenian state, contained three women deputies: Katarine Zalyan-Manukyan, Perchuhi Partizpanyan-Barseghyan and Varvara Sahakyan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in Belarus</span> Overview of the status of women in Belarus

The modern-day characteristics of women in Belarus evolved from the events that happened in the history of Belarus, particularly when the "concept of equal rights for women was first developed and substantiated in the late 16th century". The so-called Grand Duchy Charter of 1588 – one of the most important legal documents in Belarusian history – protected the dignity of Belarusian women under the law. Women in Belarus and their contribution to Belarusian society is celebrated annually on the 8th of March, during International Women's Day.

Violence against women in Fiji is recognised to be "pervasive, widespread and a serious national issue" in the Pacific Island region. Fiji's rates of violence against women are "among the very highest in the world". The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre reports that 64% of women who have been in intimate relationships have experienced physical or sexual violence from their partner, including 61% who were physically attacked and 34% who were sexually abused.

In the Republic of Azerbaijan, an Azerbaijani name typically consists of an ad (name), ata adı (patronymic), and soyad (surname), following Russian/Soviet-influenced naming customs. This article focuses on Azeri names as used in Azerbaijan; elsewhere, conventions for Azeri personal names may differ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gender equality in Azerbaijan</span>

Gender equality in Azerbaijan is guaranteed by the country's constitution and legislation, and an initiative is in place to prevent domestic violence. Azerbaijan ratified a United Nations convention in 1995, and a Gender Information Center opened in 2002. A committee on women's issues was established in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sakina Aliyeva</span> Azerbaijani-Soviet politician

Sakina Aliyeva was an Azerbaijani-Soviet politician. From 1951, she served in various capacities in the Nakhchivan Regional Committee of the Communist Party. In 1963, she was elected Chair of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic and served in that capacity until 1990. In January of that year, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union Aliyeva presented the declaration for Nakhchivan to secede from the USSR in protest of the Soviet actions during "Black January". During her career, she was awarded the Order of the October Revolution, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, and an Honorary Decree of Merit from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elmira Süleymanova</span> Azerbaijani Commissioner for Human Rights

Elmira Süleymanova, is an Azerbaijani chemist and civil servant. In 2002 she became the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nazli Najafova</span>

Nazli Najafova was a pioneering female educator in Azerbaijan. The founder of several academic programs for girls, including the first women's pedagogical school in her home city of Nakhchivan, and a forceful advocate for women's literacy, she was frequently targeted by religious leaders and other authorities for her work. After spending 10 years in exile in Kazakhstan, she returned to Azerbaijan in the late 1940s and continued her educational mission.

References

  1. ↑ "Human Development Report 2021/2022" (PDF). HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORTS. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  2. ↑ "Global Gender Gap Report 2022" (PDF). World Economic Forum. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Azerbaijan (2011). United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (2011). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ↑ "The Panoptic State, Privacy, and Politicized Women". Baku Research Institute. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  5. ↑ Tadeusz Swietochowski. Russian Azerbaijan, 1905-1920: The Shaping of a National Identity in a Muslim Community. Cambridge University Press, 2004. ISBN   0521522455, 9780521522458, p.144
  6. ↑ 2015 Parliamentary Election Results.
  7. ↑ New Female Minister in Nakhchivan. Haqqin.az. 2 September 2015.
  8. ↑ Şəhər və rayonların icra başçıları: Doğulduğu yer, tarix və vəzifəsinin icrasına başladığı il. Banker.az. 6 May 2020.
  9. ↑ Azərbaycan Respublikasının xarici ölkələrdəki səfirlik, daimi nümayəndəlik və konsulluqları. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.
  10. ↑ Mərkəzi Seçki Komissiyasının tərkibi
  11. ↑ DSK Komissiyalar.
  12. ↑ Azərbaycan Respublikasının Konstitusiya Məhkəməsi: Tərkib.
  13. ↑ Proportion of female judges in UK among lowest in Europe. The Guardian . 6 October 2016.
  14. ↑ "AZERBAIJAN: GENDER-BASED REPRISALS AGAINST WOMEN MUST STOP" (PDF). www.amnesty.org. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  15. ↑ "Azerbaijan: Stop the vicious campaign of gendered smears and reprisals against women activists". Amnesty International. 2021-05-12. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  16. ↑ "How Revenge Porn is Used to Silence Dissidents in Azerbaijan". www.occrp.org. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  17. ↑ Anar Samadov (www.anarsamadov.net). "Statistical database | The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan". The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  18. ↑ Женщины Азербайджана в Великой Отечественной войне
  19. 1 2 First Azerbaijani Woman to Become Major General Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine . Lent.az. 29 March 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  20. ↑ Around 1,000 Women in Azerbaijani Army. Trend.az. 12 August 2014.
  21. ↑ Şeyx Azərbaycanda qadın mollalardan danışdı. Oxu.az. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  22. ↑ Anar Alizadeh. Azərbaycanda xristianlıq. Elm və təhsil, 2016; p. 241
  23. ↑ "Law of the Azerbaijan Republic "About prevention of domestic violence"". cis-legislation.com. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
  24. 1 2 "Policy Attitudes towards Women in Azerbaijan: Is Equality Part of the Agenda? | Gunda-Werner-Institute". www.gwi-boell.de. Archived from the original on 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  25. ↑ http://sgdatabase.unwomen.org/uploads/Law%20on%20Prevention%20of%20Domsetic%20Violence%202010.pdf%5B%5D
  26. ↑ "Home" (PDF). Gender Equality. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  27. ↑ "Gender based violence in Azerbaijan". www.peace.ax. Archived from the original on 2018-10-05. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  28. ↑ Crrc (2015-03-02). "Deserving to be beaten and tolerating violence: Attitudes towards violence against women in Azerbaijan". Social Science in the Caucasus. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  29. ↑ "Activists bring coffin to Azerbaijani ministry following spate of women's killings". OC Media. 2021-07-30. Retrieved 2021-09-02.
  30. ↑ "Growing domestic violence endangers women's lives in Azerbaijan". Norwegian Helsinki Committee. 2021-05-20. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  31. ↑ Azerbaijan Soviet Encyclopedia (1987), vol. 10, p. 551.
  32. ↑ The Past Days Archived 2007-03-22 at the Wayback Machine by Manaf Suleymanov. 1990
  33. ↑ Female Activity at the Turn of the Century. Gender-az.org.
  34. ↑ (in Azerbaijani) Megastar and Her Light. An interview with Hamida Javanshir's granddaughter Dr. Mina Davatdarova. Gender-az.org
  35. ↑ Göyərçin xanım Archived 2015-05-28 at the Wayback Machine . Adam.az.
  36. ↑ Azerbaijani Woman in Historical Retrospective. Gender-az.org.
  37. ↑ Shovkat Mammadova, Audacious Challenge by Fuad Akhundov. Azerbaijan International. Winter 1997 (retrieved 26 August 2006)
  38. ↑ 7th annual Azerbaijan Adoptive Families Reunion Archived 2020-05-07 at the Wayback Machine . Azerbaijani Women of America.
  39. ↑ Izzat Orujova-100 Archived 2012-04-23 at the Wayback Machine . Bakinsky Rabochy. October 2009.
  40. ↑ Adila Shahtakhtinskaya. Adam.az.
  41. ↑ (in Russian) The Proprietress of the Sky Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine by I.Gadirova. Nash Vek. 7 May 2004. Retrieved 6 June 2007
  42. ↑ Center Stage: My Life as Azerbaijan's First Ballerina by Gamar Almaszadeh. Azerbaijan International. #10.3. Autumn 2002
  43. ↑ Hidden Facts about Ayna Sultanova. Deyerler. 8 February 2010.
  44. ↑ Famous Alumni - Valida Tutayug Archived 2015-05-28 at the Wayback Machine . Azerbaijani State Agricultural University.
  45. ↑ Nakhchivan Archived 2009-07-13 at the Wayback Machine .
  46. ↑ First Azerbaijani Female Cleric. Day.az. 17 November 2007. Retrieved 4 October 2011.

Further reading


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.