Women in Azerbaijan - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Though women in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...

nominally enjoy the same legal rights as men, gender discrimination is common. Particularly in rural communities, women who appear in public unaccompanied, smoke in public, drive automobiles, or visit certain theaters and restaurants are subject to disapproval. Traditional social norms and poor economic conditions continue to restrict women's roles in the economy, and there are reports that women have difficulty exercising their legal rights due to discrimination.

Though the majority of Azerbaijani women have jobs outside the home, women are underrepresented in high-level jobs, including top business positions. As of November 2010, there were 19 women in the 125-seat parliament

National Assembly of Azerbaijan

The National Assembly , also transliterated as Milli Majlis is the legislative branch of government in Azerbaijan. The unicameral National Assembly has 125 deputies: previously 100 members were elected for five-year terms in single-seat constituencies and 25 were members elected by proportional...

. As of 2007, several women held senior government positions, including deputy speaker of parliament, several deputy ministers, and deputy chair of the Central Election Commission. There are no legal restrictions on the participation of women in politics, although traditional social norms limit women's political roles, and they are underrepresented in elective offices.

During the active phase of the Nagorno-Karabakh War

Nagorno-Karabakh War

The Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the small enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh backed by the Republic of Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan...

2,000 of Azerbaijan's 74,000 military personnel were women, and 600 of them directly took part in the military operations.

As of May 2009, women held the positions of Deputee Chairman of the Costitutional Court, Deputee Chairman of the Nakhchivan AR Cabinet of Ministers, four Deputee Ministers, an ambassador, and ombudsmen of Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan AR. Women constituted 4 of the 16 members of the Central Election Commission

Central Election Commission

The Central Election Commission is the name of an organization in a number of countries which is in charge of affairs related to national and local elections...

and chaired of 3 of the 125 district election commissions. There were no female ministers or heads of executive governments of cities or rayon

Raion

A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district"...

s, except for Hijran Huseynova

Hijran Huseynova

Hijran Huseynova Kamran qizi is a professor and an Azerbaijani politician serving as the Chairwoman of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs of Azerbaijan Republic.-Ealy life:...

who chairs the State Committee for Family, Women & Children Affairs. The State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs of Azerbaijan Republic

State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs (Azerbaijan)

The State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs of Azerbaijan Republic is a governmental agency within the Cabinet of Azerbaijan in charge of regulation of activities for protection of rights of women and children and overseeing activities of non-governmental organizations involved in...

is the primary government agency overlooking the activities in protection of rights of women in the country.

Violence against women

Violence against women

Violence against women is a technical term used to collectively refer to violent acts that are primarily or exclusively committed against women...

is a problem in Azerbaijan. The government stated that 86 rapes and attempted rapes were reported during 2007, in connection with which the government criminally charged 66 persons. Most rape victims reportedly knew their assailants but did not report incidents out of fear and shame. Rape is illegal and carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence. In rural areas women have no effective recourse against assault

Assault

In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...

s by their husbands or others; there are no laws on spousal abuse or specific laws on spousal rape

Spousal rape

Marital rape, also known as spousal rape, is non-consensual sex in which the perpetrator is the victim's spouse. As such, it as a form of partner rape, of domestic violence, and of sexual abuse. Once widely condoned or ignored by law, spousal rape is now repudiated by international conventions and...

. There are no government-sponsored programs for victims of rape or domestic violence. In Baku

Baku

Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...

a women's crisis center operated by the Institute for Peace and Democracy provides free medical, psychological, and legal assistance for women. Representatives of the institute regularly appear on popular television talk shows to discuss women's issues.

Prostitution

Prostitution

Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...

is an administrative offense rather than a crime and is punishable by a fine of up to $102 (88 AZN). Pimps and brothel owners may be sentenced to prison for up to six years. Prostitution was a serious problem, particularly in Baku.

The law does not directly prohibit sexual harassment

Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...

Timeline of women's emancipation

Year	Event	Location
1889	Nigar Shikhlinskaya Nigar Shikhlinskaya Nigar Huseyn Afandi gizi Shikhlinskaya, née Gayibova was the first Azerbaijani nurse. She was fluent in several languages, including Russian and French and served on the Western Front of World War I, where she opened the Red Cross hospital.... became the first Azeri female to obtain a higher education.	Tiflis
1901	Empress Alexandra School, the first Azeri secular girls' school and the first of such kind in the Russian Empire Russian Empire The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union... , opened.	Baku Baku Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
1906	Actress Govhar Gaziyeva became the first Azeri woman to appear on stage.	Tiflis
1908	Saint Petersburg Women's Medical College Saint Petersburg State Medical University The Saint Petersburg State Medical University named after I.P. Pavlov was established in 1897 in St. Petersburg, Russia, as the first Russian medical college for women... graduate Sona Valikhan became the first certified Azeri female physician.	Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
1908	Philanthropist Hamida Javanshir Hamida Javanshir Hamida Ahmad bey qizi Javanshir was an Azerbaijani philanthropist and women's rights activist... founded the first Azeri coeducation Coeducation Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education... al school.	Kahrizli
1911	Khadija Alibeyova published Ishig, the first Azeri-language women's magazine.	Tiflis
1912	The first Azeri female opera singer Shovkat Mammadova Shovkat Mammadova Shovkat Hasan qizi Mammadova was an Azerbaijani opera singer and music instructor.-Early life and musical career:... made her first stage performance.	Baku Baku Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
1919	Azerbaijani women were granted the right to vote.
1929	Izzat Orujova became the first Azerbaijani female actress to act in a feature film.
1930	Adila Shahtakhtinskaya became the first Azeri woman to earn a doctorate degree.
1931	Leyla Mammadbeyova Leyla Mammadbeyova Leyla Mammadbeyova was the first Azerbaijani female aviator. She was also the first female pilot in Southern Europe and the Middle East.-Career:... performed her first flight and became the first Azerbaijani female aviator. The Proprietress of the Sky by I.Gadirova. Nash Vek. 7 May 2004. Retrieved 6 June 2007	Baku Baku Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
1932	The first Azerbaijani ballerina Gamar Almaszadeh Gamar Almaszadeh Gamar Hajiaga qizi Almaszadeh was an Azerbaijani ballerina and ballet instructor. She's considered the first ballerina of the Muslim world. -Early life:... debuted in Shakh-Senem.	Baku Baku Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
1934	People's Commissar of Justice Ayna Sultanova became the first Azerbaijani female cabinet minister.
1949	Valida Tutayug became the first Azeri female member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences , located in Baku, is the main state research organization in Azerbaijan... (founded in 1945).
1964	Sakina Aliyeva was elected Chair of the Supreme Soviet of Nakhchivan, becoming the first Azerbaijani female head of parliament.	Nakhchivan
2007	Manzar Ismayilova became the first Azeri female pastor.
2009	Natavan Mirvatova was promoted to major general Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... , the third highest military rank in Azerbaijan and the highest a female has ever been elevated to.

Timeline of women's emancipation

Further reading