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Womens Rights in Azerbaijan
Statement on the government Report on CEDAW compliance in the Azerbaijan Republic: The International League for Human Rights, an NGO in its 53rd year accredited to the UN, welcomes the timely reporting of the Azerbaijan Republic on compliance with CEDAW. We are concerned, however, that in a number of areas, the report lacks concrete information about implementation of women's rights in the Azerbaijan Republic. Accordingly, we have facilitated the distribution of an alternative report from the women's rights group of the Human Rights Center of Baku, prepared by Zaliha Zeynalov and her colleagues in Baku. The League is concerned that the government report was not distributed or available to NGOs in Baku, and that NGOs and independent experts do not appear to have been consulted in the process of report preparation. What steps is the government of the Azerbaijan Republic taking to ensure availability of such reports, and most importantly, to consult with relevant NGOs on women's rights. After a reading of the government report, and the alternative points in the report by the Human Rights Center of Baku, the League has the following questions:
Domestic ViolenceThe issue of spousal or partner abuse of women cuts across several articles within CEDAW, particularly regarding the equality of men and women before the law, and the right to a woman to sue for assault against an abusive spouse on par with the right of men and women to sue any party for harassment or assault. Does the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic contain articles which punish domestic violence per se? What means do women have to turn to civil or criminal courts to petition for protection or to initiative proceedings against respondents on assault charges? What educational programs have been instituted, if any, in law enforcement agencies to address this issue?
Article 6Women's rights advocates have noted the increasing scourge of the trafficking of women, particularly through schemes involving travel to neighboring countries. What steps have public health and law enforcement authorities taken to alert women to the dangers of trafficking?What viable economic alternatives are being developed for rural and urban women, and women in refugee camps, to prevent sexual exploitation, forced labor, and trafficking? What education programs are in place?
Article 7The practice of male heads of family voting on behalf of their wives, mothers, daughters, and other female relatives is widespread and documented by international monitors during elections. What steps is the Azerbaijan Republic taking to combat this disenfranchisement of women?Despite protection by Constitutional Articles 54,55, and 56, the numbers of women in the Milli Medzhlis or parliament are remarkably low. What steps are you taking to enable greater representation of women in the legislative and executive branches?
Article 10What are the official figures for the number of women in primary, secondary, and post-secondary education?
Article 12Both the infant mortality rate and the maternal mortality rate are very high in Azerbaijan. What initiatives is the government taking to improve women's access to quality prenatal and reproductive health care? Are women provided with full information which allows them to make educated choices independently, without coercion? Is such information available to adolescents and single women?The new draft law regarding reproductive health notes that women 35 years of age or older who already have two or more children can opt for sterilization. Can you assess the likelihood of this law passing, and can you comment on the curtailment of choice indicated by such a law? Given that many health services have been eliminated, can you comment on which health programs affecting women have been cut? What type of programs for adolescent health education are in operation in Azerbaijan? Can you provide more information about the reproductive health and family planning initiative adopted by the state to include WHO and UNPF? Article 13Can you provide figures which demonstrate how many women received "loans, mortgages and other forms of financial credit" in 1997? What access did rural and refugee women have to such forms of credit?
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