Exploring Azerbaijan: Activities And Opportunities For Women

Women in Azerbaijan have the same legal rights as men, but societal discrimination remains an issue. In 2022, Azerbaijan repealed 674 job restrictions on women, which were inherited from the laws of the former Soviet Union. Despite these legal reforms, women in Azerbaijan still face soft barriers to employment in male-dominated sectors, and the country has one of the highest reported pay gaps in Europe and Central Asia. Azerbaijan is taking steps to address these issues, and the government has committed to mainstreaming gender in all state programs and legislation to support equal participation for women and men in public and social life.

Women's rights in Azerbaijan are protected by the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs

Women in Azerbaijan are said to enjoy the same legal rights as men. However, societal discrimination remains a problem. The State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs of the Azerbaijan Republic is a governmental agency within the Cabinet of Azerbaijan that is responsible for the regulation of activities for the protection of women's rights. The committee promotes the independence of women in civil societies in terms of earning a living and functioning while the lead family providers are away.

The State Committee for Family, Women and Children's Affairs was established on 14 January 1998 by Presidential Decree. On 6 February 2006, the committee's duties expanded to include solving problems faced by families and children, and it was re-established as the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs. The committee has been working closely with the NGO Alliance for Children's Rights to combat domestic violence and educate children in need of special care about violence prevention, suicide attempts, human trafficking, child crimes, child labour, early marriages, and harmful habits. Support centres for families and children have been established in Mingachevir, Goranboy, and Shuvalan with financial support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID). These centres provide education on health, social communication skills, and life skills.

In addition to the work of the committee, Azerbaijan has taken steps to address gender-based discrimination in employment. Until recently, women in Azerbaijan were restricted from working in 674 jobs across various sectors, including transport, energy, and agriculture. These restrictions were inherited from the laws of the former Soviet Union and were intended to protect women's health. However, they did not take into account advancements in technology and changes in occupational health conditions. In November 2022, Azerbaijan repealed these job restrictions on women's employment, adopting a health risk-based approach instead. This development is expected to benefit the economy and society, leading to higher female participation in the labour force and positively impacting Azerbaijan's Strategy for Socio-Economic Development 2022-2026.

Despite legal protections and recent progress, there are still areas where women's rights and representation in Azerbaijan fall short. According to a report by the Baku Research Institute, violations of privacy in political and social relations, such as interfering in private life, sharing private information, and unauthorised access to private spaces, are widespread in the country. Additionally, women are underrepresented in high-level jobs and top business positions. While they make up a significant portion of the workforce in certain sectors, such as education and healthcare, they tend to work in lower-wage careers. This contributes to a high gender pay gap, with men earning up to 46% more than women on average.

Women in Azerbaijan have equal legal rights to men, but societal discrimination remains an issue

Women in Azerbaijan have equal rights to men in law, but discrimination remains an issue. While women have long enjoyed universal suffrage, and there are no legal restrictions on their participation in politics, they remain underrepresented in high-level jobs, including top business positions.

Azerbaijan was the first Muslim-majority country to enfranchise women, in 1918. As of 2020, there were 22 women in the country's 125-seat parliament, including the Speaker of the National Assembly. The percentage of female members of parliament increased from 11% to 17.6% between 2005 and 2020. In 2017, the president's wife, Mehriban Aliyeva, was appointed Vice President, the highest position a woman has occupied in Azerbaijan since 1994. In 2020, Sahiba Gafarova was appointed Speaker of the National Assembly, and there was one female cabinet minister, Mahabbat Valiyeva, the Minister of Education. Despite these advances, women remain underrepresented in high-level jobs.

In 2022, Azerbaijan repealed restrictions on women's employment, opening up 674 occupations across many sectors of the economy that had previously been reserved for men. These included driving a city bus with more than 14 seats, laying asphalt, and working as a train engineer. The restrictions were inherited from the laws of the former Soviet Union and were intended to protect women's health. However, they were not based on a thorough risk assessment for each job and did not consider technological advancements or changes in occupational health and safety standards. The new rules adopt a health risk-based approach to certain jobs, exclusively for pregnant women and those with children under one year of age.

Despite these positive steps, societal discrimination remains an issue. Women in Azerbaijan tend to work in lower-wage careers, such as health and education, while men dominate better-remunerated fields, such as transport, storage, energy, construction, and management. This contributes to a high gender pay gap: men earn around 40% more than women, on average. Women are also underrepresented in decision-making positions, such as civil service roles.

Azerbaijan is taking steps to address these issues. The government is working to ensure more girls pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It has pledged to introduce new legislation to help working women, including flexible working and accessible childcare. Azerbaijan is also prioritising the reintegration of refugee women into society and promoting their participation in political, economic, and public life.

Organisations in the country are also taking steps to improve equality. For example, Azerbaijan Railways and the Port of Baku are improving their human resources policies to increase the share of women in their workforces. Azerbaijan Railways has initiated training for women train operators, while the Port of Baku has introduced generous childcare policies for mothers and is recruiting and retaining female interns.

Azerbaijan has committed to mainstreaming gender in all state programmes and legislation to help working women

Azerbaijan has made a commitment to mainstream gender in all state programmes and legislation to help working women. This means that the government is actively taking measures to ensure equal opportunities and participation for women and men in public and social life. Specific budgets have been allocated to ensure a steady increase in gender mainstreaming across all state programmes and services, with a focus on achieving gender equality at all levels and in all spheres.

One key area of focus is promoting women's participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Azerbaijan recognises the need to cultivate girls' interest and participation in these areas and has pledged to introduce new legislation to support working women, such as flexible working arrangements and accessible childcare. The country is also prioritising the reintegration of refugee women into society, promoting their participation in political, economic, and public life.

To address the economic empowerment of youth, particularly young women, Azerbaijan has implemented initiatives within the framework of the State Program on the Implementation of the Employment Strategy. This includes promoting employment in the tourism sector, establishing a network of business centres, and providing financial literacy training. Additionally, organisations in Azerbaijan are taking significant steps towards gender equality by providing training for women in traditionally male-dominated professions, revising hiring processes, and addressing workplace gender-based violence and harassment.

The World Bank has also played a crucial role in supporting Azerbaijan's commitment to gender equality. Through the Azerbaijan Rapid Technical Assistance Facility (AZTAF), funded by the European Union, the World Bank has launched a technical assistance and capacity-building program. This program aims to tackle "soft" barriers to women's employment, such as addressing gender stereotypes, encouraging girls to study STEM subjects, and improving workplace health, safety, and inclusion.

By prioritising gender mainstreaming and taking concrete actions to support working women, Azerbaijan is working towards a more equal and diverse society, benefiting both its economy and its citizens.

Women in Azerbaijan have tended to work in lower-wage careers, such as health and education

Women in Azerbaijan tend to work in lower-paid careers, such as health and education, while men dominate the better-paid fields of transport, storage, energy, construction, and management. This workplace segregation contributes to a high gender pay gap in Azerbaijan, with men earning on average 35.2% more than women, one of the highest reported pay gaps in Europe and Central Asia.

The reasons for this disparity are complex and deep-rooted. Firstly, until recently, there were legal restrictions on women's employment, with 674 occupations across various sectors of the economy reserved only for men. Although these restrictions were inherited from the laws of the former Soviet Union and intended to protect women's health, they were not based on a thorough risk assessment of each job and did not consider technological advancements and changes in occupational health and safety standards over time. Azerbaijan repealed these restrictions in November 2022, working with the World Bank to demonstrate that these roles did not pose a specific threat to women's health.

However, legal barriers are not the only obstacle for Azerbaijani women seeking higher-paid employment. Soft" barriers, such as gender stereotypes and societal expectations, influence the education and career choices of women and men, with many positions and fields of study still considered "male". For example, the government is encouraging more girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as these fields have traditionally been male-dominated. Additionally, women's household and care responsibilities often limit their ability to work outside the home, and affordable, quality childcare facilities can be lacking.

To address these "soft" barriers, organisations in Azerbaijan are taking steps to provide training for women in male-dominated professions, revise hiring processes to ensure inclusivity, and implement policies to address gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace. The World Bank is also collaborating with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population to conduct events and training on occupational health and safety, violence, and harassment from a gender perspective.

Despite these challenges, women in Azerbaijan have made significant contributions to society. For example, in 1931, Leyla Mammadbeyova became one of the first Soviet female aviators and paratroopers, and during World War II, 10,000 women from Azerbaijan voluntarily served as military and medical personnel. Today, women continue to break barriers and pursue new opportunities, with Azerbaijan Railways recently initiating training for women train operators.

In 2022, Azerbaijan repealed 674 job restrictions on women, allowing them to work in roles previously deemed a threat to their health

In Azerbaijan, women nominally enjoy the same legal rights as men. However, societal discrimination remains a problem. Women in Azerbaijan have higher educational attainment than men, but they often earn less. They are underrepresented in high-level jobs, including top business positions, and tend to work in lower-wage careers such as health and education. Men, on the other hand, dominate better-remunerated fields like transport, storage, energy, and construction. This workplace segregation contributes to a high gender pay gap in Azerbaijan, with men earning 35.2%-46% more than women on average.

In November 2022, Azerbaijan took a significant step towards addressing this inequality by repealing 674 job restrictions on women's employment. Previously, women were legally prohibited from working in various sectors, including transport, energy, and agriculture. They were not allowed to lay asphalt, work as train engineers, or drive a city bus with more than 14 seats. These restrictions were inherited from the laws of the former Soviet Union and were purportedly intended to protect women's health. However, they were not based on a thorough risk assessment of each job and did not consider advancements in technology and changes in occupational health conditions over time.

Working with the World Bank, Azerbaijan demonstrated that these roles did not pose a specific threat to women's health. Instead of blanket restrictions, the new rules adopted a health risk-based approach, considering the specific circumstances of pregnant women and those with young children. This development aligns with the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which enshrines equal employment opportunities for all, regardless of gender.

The repeal of these job restrictions is expected to benefit not only women but also the economy and society as a whole. It will improve women's access to jobs, foster gender equality in the workforce, and support Azerbaijan's strategy for socio-economic development. Additionally, it will benefit businesses by expanding the talent pool and enhancing diversity and innovation within organizations.

While this legal reform is a crucial step forward, it is important to recognize that other deeply embedded "soft" barriers still impede women's access to employment in traditionally male-dominated sectors. These include gender stereotypes that influence education and career choices, as well as workplace health, safety, and inclusion issues. Addressing these barriers requires a multifaceted approach, including encouraging girls and young women to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects and addressing sexual harassment in the workplace.

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