Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan has strengthened laws and policies to promote women’s employment through the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Employment in 2018 that prohibits discrimination in recruitment and workplaces, promotes equal pay for work of equal value, and supports active labour market measures to increase the employability of women. In 2019, female labour force participation (ages 15-64) was 70 per cent compared to 75 per cent to men (World Bank, ILO data 2019). However, occupational patterns are highly gender-segregated in Azerbaijan and the main sectors of female labour force participation are agriculture, trade, education and healthcare. These are low-paid sectors and women face a higher unemployment rate than men. Moreover, women are underrepresented as business owners.

A number of measures have been implemented in Azerbaijan within the framework of the 2011-2015 State Program on the Implementation of the Employment Strategy (UN Women 2017). One of the main goals of the programme is to implement measures to promote the employment of adolescents and youth. The Azerbaijan Micro-Finance Association jointly with the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs has carried out training on financial literacy and how to develop your own business.

In 2017, the Azerbaijani Female Entrepreneurs Development Association was created with the support of the Ministry of Economy based on the initiative of entrepreneurs and their willingness to play an active role in further broadening public-private partnerships, coordinating activities of entrepreneurs of production and export operations, and reducing the dependence on import. Furthermore, three female business incubators have also been established by the Ministry of Economy. The Azerbaijani Rural Women Association (ARWA) was established in 2018 and acts as a national network of Women’s Development Groups. The organization supports business incubators and provides access to financial mechanisms. In 2019, the State Agro Trade Company has started the project of Azerbaijani Women with Agricultural Activities (AFAG) jointly with UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). The aim of the project is to facilitate the access of women to the markets to sell their products, from female entrepreneurs that can build their businesses in agriculture, increase their knowledge in marketing and sales and help them to create small production enterprises and greenhouses. This project opens up opportunities for women ’s access to markets, employment, information and resources. It also creates conditions to improve women's social and economic livelihoods.

In 2019, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed the Decree on Approval of the State Program for Social and Economic Development in 2019–2023 in the country. The Decree is aimed to continue the work done in the areas of social and economic development of the regions and particularly in rural areas. The State Program has been implemented to enhance development in communities and rural areas and to involve women’s participation in economic processes. Since 2011, SCFWCA and the United Nations Development Program are implementing a technical support project aimed at promoting the participation of women living in rural areas and regions in economic and social life. The purpose of the project is to ensure the active participation of women and youth from rural areas and districts in economic life and increase economic opportunities and skills for entrepreneurial activities and employment. In the framework of the project, during 2015–2018, 8 Women Resource Centres were created in Sabirabad, Salyan, Neftchala, Masally, Bilasuvar, Zagatala, Gusar and Khazar district of Baku. Likewise, the Azerbaijani Rural Investment Project (ARIP), implemented by the State Agency for Agricultural Projects and Loans Management under the Ministry of Agriculture in 2018, has promoted the participation of almost 100 women in the project (CEDAW Report 2019).

                                                                                                                            UN Women