International Children's Day in Azerbaijan or hashtag "#give_child_money"

Baku/06.01.21/Turan: June 1 is International Children's Day. After gaining independence, Azerbaijan joined the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The country has adopted numerous laws and state programs related to children's rights. The involvement of children in education is mandatory; the level of involvement in learning is close to 100%.

According to the State Statistics Committee, for March 2021, there are 3,813,400 children under 14 years of age in the country. They study in 1,840 preschool institutions and 4,422 secondary schools. 153 thousand teachers are engaged in teaching.

The coronavirus pandemic also had a negative impact on the learning process, causing children to feel anxiety, fear, difficulty concentrating, and stress.

According to economist Gubad Ibadoglu, over the past 20 years, the number of children in the total population has decreased by 2.5%, which is especially noticeable in cities. According to Ibadoglu, one of the main reasons is the absence of state care.

"Although poverty is more common among families with many children, many benefits for such families have been canceled. Azerbaijan is one of the few countries in the world that does not pay social benefits for children.

The country has problems with education and medical care for children. Children drop out in high school, especially in rural areas, and work on farms to support their families. The dynamics of diseases of the blood, digestive and nervous systems in children is constantly increasing, «says Ibadoglu.

All this violates the rights of children in the family and at school. Parents and teachers do not recognize the freedoms necessary for the personal development of children. Neither the state, nor society, nor the school, nor the family do most of what is necessary to defend their rights, he said.

The hashtag "#give_child_money" has existed for some time on the social networks of Azerbaijan. Activists have long been demanding that the government allocate monthly child benefits from the budget.

One of the organizers of the campaign is Vahid Maharramli, a functionary of the Popular Front Party. “The campaign has been going on for over three months. Hundreds of people have joined it and discussions continue in independent media and social networks,” he said.

There are many unemployed in the country; almost half of the working-age population does not have a permanent job. “We are very concerned about the situation of children growing up in these families, as their social situation is difficult. These children cannot eat normally, dress normally, cannot get a normal education. All this is unacceptable in a country that is considered rich,” he said.

“Therefore, we are convinced that in Azerbaijan, as in most countries of the world, child benefits should be paid. The country has funds to allocate 100 manats per month for each child,” he said.

Maharramli recalled that child benefits in Azerbaijan were paid until 2004.

“Even during the difficult financial situation in the country, in 1994, the government of Abulfaz Elchibay decided to pay child support. However, now in a country with sufficient financial resources, child benefits are not paid,” Maharramli stressed. -03B-