The Republic of Azerbaijan ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1995 and signed its optional protocol in 2000. The Family Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan (No.781-IQ of 28 December 1999) outlines the principles governing establishing and strengthening family relations, their termination, the rights and responsibilities of family members, and the duties of state bodies in this area. The purpose of the Law On guarantees of gender equality (men and women) (No.150-IIIQ of October 10, 2006) is to ensure gender equality by eliminating all forms of discrimination based on gender, creating equal opportunities for men and women in the political, economic, social, cultural and other spheres of public life. The Law On the Prevention of Domestic Violence (No.1058-IIIQ of June 22, 2010) focuses on domestic violence between close relatives to mitigate its adverse legal, medical and social outcomes and provide legal and social assistance for victims.
The State Committee on Women’s Issues of the Republic of Azerbaijan was established by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan’s decree on January 14, 1998. The need for a comprehensive solution to the problems of family, children, and women’s issues led to the establishment of a unified state body – the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs established by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan No.361 on February 6, 2006.
The Committee on Family, Women, and Children of the Milli Majlis prepares bills or provides opinions on submitted bills concerning family relations, including guardianship and trusteeship, the protection and implementation of women and children’s rights, ensuring gender equality for both males and females and the prevention of domestic violence.
According to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, in the Republic of Azerbaijan, approximately 500,000 women work in the public and 350,000 in the private sectors. Equal conditions and opportunities in labour activity are applied to women and men. Gender equality requires raising awareness; therefore, over the past two years, educational work has been conducted with 700 employers across 14 regions of the country. On the agenda is the issue of providing certain tax breaks to companies that appoint women to leadership positions.
Regarding gender equality in employment in Azerbaijan, women have traditionally held a predominance in culture and education. For example, out of 38,172 employees working in public cultural institutions of the Ministry of Culture in 2024, 27,171 were women (71.18%), and only 11,001 were men (28.82%). Most employees in libraries, museums, archives, music schools, and theatres are women who actively manage cultural institutions. The representation of women in key decision-making positions within cultural institutions and in essential cultural policymaking roles is also very high. For example, 65 women work in the Ministry of Culture’s Office, and 18 occupy management positions. In comparison, 63 men are employed in the Ministry of Culture’s Office, and 21 hold management positions. The State Service for the Protection, Development, and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, under the Ministry of Culture, employs a majority of men, with 83 women, four of whom occupy management positions, and 146 men, 12 of whom hold managerial roles. However, in this instance, we must recognise that working with immovable heritage entails considerable “fieldwork.”
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