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More women organizations are being created, the current ones are expanding their networks. 
During the preparation period of the Sixth World Conference of women held in Beijing in 1995 the 
National Committee of Women of Azerbaijan submitted a report to the conference. 
After the conference national conferences were held. On June 30, 1995, Azerbaijan joined 
the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and took 
respective obligations. 
Since the Beijing Conference a lot of work for the implementation of the principles and 
recommendations noted on its documents has been done and reports have been submitted to the 
UN agencies. 
In order to implement into life the state policy on women, the State Committee on the Problems 
of Women was established with to the decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 
January 14, 1998.
The statistics show that among 80 heads of executive power of cities and districts there are only 
5 women, and the number of women  in government bodies is very low.  
Legislative acts, decisions and resolutions adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers, by government 
bodies of various levels do not take into account the gender requirements and do not undergo 
expertise.
Since Azerbaijan regained its independence, women have been assigned new tasks. The 
establishment of market economy, formation of civil society, reforms demand the increase of the 
role of women in society. However, the equal rights determined for women are not realized because 
of lack of equal rights in reality. 
The necessity of solution of the problems of women was emphasized in the fi rst assembly of the 
women of Azerbaijan held on September 25, 1998. That conference demonstrated that a lot has to 
be done to increase the role of  women in society. 
In order to ensure equal rights for women with men, particularly representation of women in 
legislation, I resolve:
1. Equal representation of women with men in the administration must be ensured by taking 
into consideration the activity of all the government bodies of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
2. The State Statistics Committee together with the State Committee on Women`s Problems 
shall prepare statistical information on the situation of women in the republic. 
3. The Cabinet of Ministers shall be charged:
- to ensure equal opportunities both for men and women according to the gender policy within 
the economic reforms;
- to prepare and implement into life a program on the employment of refugees and internally 
displaced people;
- to analyze the current legislation and submit proposals on changes and amendments to the 
laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan in order to strengthen  the defence of women.
- to report the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the implementation of the decree until 
In the Name of the Azerba  ani Woman

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In the Name of the Azerba  ani Woman
March 1;
- to solve issues deriving  from This Decree.
Heydar Aliyev,
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Baku, March 6, 2000

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LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN ON GENDER EQUALITY*
Article 1. Aim of the Law
The aim of This Law is to remove all the forms of gender discrimination, to create equal 
opportunities for men and women in all the spheres of political, economic, social and cultural life 
by ensuring gender equality.
Article 2. Basic notions
2.0. The following notions are used in This Law:
2.01. Gender- social aspect of relations between men and women in the political, economic, 
cultural and other spheres of public life;
2.02. Gender equality- equality of rights of men and women, equal opportunities for ensuring 
these rights and their equal status in the society;
2.03. Equal opportunities- equal conditions and guarantees for men and women in ensuring 
human rights;
2.04. Sex discrimination- sexual harassment, employment of discrimination which includes 
sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and other verbal or other physical conduct of a 
sexual nature in the course of employment;
2.05. Sexual harassment- abusive and humiliating actions committed at work and service 
relations, insulting in nature, expressed in physical actions (verbal, by touching, by abusive words, 
gestures, threat, soiling proposals and invitation of immoral nature)
Article 3. Prohibition of all forms of gender discrimination
3.1. All the forms of gender discrimination are prohibited
3.2. The followings are not regarded to be gender discrimination:
3.2.1. Concessions, privileges and other forms of maintenance provided by the Labour Code of 
the Republic of Azerbaijan for women;
3.2.2. Call up of men for the active military (alternative) service;
3.2.3. different pension and marriage ages for men and women as provided by the law;
3.2.4. restriction of the right of the husband to demand the breach of the marriage in conformity 
with Article 15 of the Family Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan;
3.2.5. creation of different conditions for men and women in penitentiaries; 
3.2.6. implementation of special measures into life for ensuring gender equality.
Article 4. Ban of harassment to sexual intercourse
Compulsion to sexual intercourse is prohibited.
Article 5. Basic directions of the national policy connected with the assurance of gender 
equality.
5.0. The basic directions of the national policy for ensuring gender equality are the 
In the Name of the Azerba  ani Woman
* This is not offi cial translation

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