EU Ambassador calls on Azerbaijan to sign Istanbul Convention

Baku / 06.03.20 / Turan: The EU Delegation in Azerbaijan and EU Neighbors east organized a briefing on Friday on International Women's Day - March 8.

The purpose of the event is the presentation of projects implemented in Azerbaijan on gender equality.

Speaking at the opening, the head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, Kestutis Jankauskas, noted that the EU is currently preparing a new national action plan on gender issues, designed for 4 years.  

“In Azerbaijan, more than 100 years ago, women received the right to vote, and we are interested in whether women were able to use their rights in the recent snap parliamentary elections,” he said.

The ambassador noted that last year a record number of facts of violence against women was officially registered in Azerbaijan. However, this does not say that the situation has worsened. Society began to talk more about this problem.

“In all EU projects in Azerbaijan, the gender issue is a priority. It would be positive if Azerbaijan joined the Istanbul Convention,” he said.

The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence has been open for signature since May 11, 2011. The convention is signed by 46 countries and the European Union. Azerbaijan has not yet signed the document.

Speaking at the event, the head of the legal support department of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children, Talia Ibrahimova, emphasized that there had never been a feminist movement in Azerbaijan, but there were always women scientists, representatives of the intelligentsia, who devoted themselves to improving the education of girls and enhancing their participation in public life.

Talia Ibrahimova believes that at this stage, special attention should be paid to the economic independence of women.

“Without economic independence, the problem of gender equality will always be relevant. There is a tendency to support medium and small business among women. Positive is the reduction in the level of early marriage and childbirth for girls aged 15-17 years. Measures to combat selective marriages are also yielding results,” she said.

After opening speeches, projects implemented with the support of the EU were presented. The presentations were also made by women from the regions who received assistance from EU programs, talking about their experiences. –71B-