Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan continues to take measures to strengthen the role of women in the social development of the country.

In this regard, the country and UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) inked an agreement as part of a project titled “Capacity Development Support to Rural Women on the Socio-economic and Gender Aspects of Sustainable Rural Development.”

The document, signed between Azerbaijani Agriculture Minister Heydar Asadov and FAO representative to Azerbaijan Mustafa Imir, ensures financing by the FAO and Turkey.

The project aims to oversee the proper management of natural resources as well as to increase opportunities for women living in rural regions.

Moreover, it will help develop cooperation between the Azerbaijani and Turkish agriculture ministries and give them an opportunity to exchange experiences and conduct training and consultations for women living in rural areas.

The FAO is an agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, the FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy.

Azerbaijan became a member country of the FAO in 1995 and is currently benefiting from FAO’s technical assistance in many areas such as organic agriculture, agriculture marketing, locust management, food security, seed sector development, and improved livelihoods for rural populations. Animal health and cattle breeding are the new FAO representative’s main fields of specialization.

From 1995 to 2014, FAO implemented around 20 projects in Azerbaijan, and currently, three national and three regional projects are underway.

The promotion of women’s representation in rural organizations as well as income-generating activities for rural women is a pressing issue in the Country Programming Framework (CPF).

Jointly developed with the Azerbaijani government, the CPF reflects relevant national development plans and strategies, while supporting FAO’s strategic objectives and regional priorities. It is fully aligned with the UN Azerbaijan Partnership Framework (UNAPF).

So, far Azerbaijan has joined many projects related to women's equality, including the Convention on the Political Rights of Women and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

National legislation also ensures equality for women and prohibits any discrimination. The State Committee for Family, Women, and Children oversees gender policy in the country.

According to “The Gender Equity Index” UN Development Program, in 2012 Azerbaijan took 54^th place among 148 countries in terms of gender equality in reproductive health, civil rights and possibilities, and opportunities on the labor market.

Today women, who make up 50.2% of the population of Azerbaijan, actively participate in all spheres in the country, including socio-political life.

More and more women in Azerbaijan are entering state institutions. The number of women in the Azerbaijani Parliament increased from 11 percent in the 2005 elections to 16 percent in the latest elections in 2010.

Significant progress has also been made at the municipal level. The number of women working in the municipal agencies grew from 4 percent in 2004 to 27 percent in 2009 and 35 percent in 2014.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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