Laws in the sphere of ​​violence against women do not work in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan only partially fulfills its commitments to the UN Human Rights Council. Thus, only laws on adoption and  reporting re fulfilled. However, the execution of the laws is unsatisfactory, said at the press conference on Thursday Rashida Manchu, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women. As an independent expert, Manchu, said that  she was in Azerbaijan for 10 days to study the situation  on the fight against violence against women.

The Special Rapporteur was surprised that women, who were subject to violence, do not talk about it, adhering to common principles in society. According to her, not speaking about this problem makes impossible to get the proper help from government agencies; there are not preventive measures and public censure. "One of the main goals of our visits to  such countries as Azerbaijan, is the study of the situation of violence against women, and providing recommendations to the government in this regard," said Mancho. 

She pointed to the negative aspects in this area, calling them "gaps and difficulties." In particular, in many cases, women do not want to inform the relevant state agencies. Centers  to help  the families are inactive, they are not able to provide psychological and social assistance to protect victims. There is no effective mechanism for the enforcement of laws in connection with an early marriage, divorce. Women often turn to private lawyers , this creates the impression that the rights of low-income women are not provided at the appropriate level. Each ministry must face regulating gender issues, but it does not happen. 

Rashida Mancho said that during her stay in Azerbaijan , she visited Khachmaz , Ganja , Lankaran regions,  Sumgait town, and Garadagh district of the capital.  She also visited  centers for internally displaced persons in Sumgait and Garadagh districts of Baku, and  acquainted with the conditions in which women live. –06D--