26 September 2008
AssA-Irada

Azerbaijani women met in the capital, Baku, on Friday for their third congress. A congratulatory letter from President Ilham Aliyev was first read out at the event, attended by ambassadors of numerous countries and representatives of international organizations. Aliyev wrote that Azerbaijani women, who stand out for their intelligence, wisdom and moral values, have been active in all areas of life since the country restored its independence in 1991, and are making a tremendous contribution to the democratization process and progress of their homeland.

Speakers at the congress, participated in by 1,600 people, spoke of Azerbaijani women’s role in the country’s socio-political life and lauded the role played in this respect by the President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva.

Svetlana Orlova, deputy head of the Russian Federation Council (upper chamber of parliament), speaking to reporters after the congress, highly assessed the conduct of the event. She said a great deal has been done in recent years in Azerbaijan in the fields of women’s issues, science and education. The number of educational institutions has been increased in the country with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and existing ones overhauled. “Along with improving the quality of education, this means providing women inclined to work in the field with jobs,” she said.

First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, addressing the congress, said that despite considerable workload done, challenges and shortfalls remain in education. With regard to women’s role in society, she expressed discontent on two matters. Firstly, she touched on access to education.

“In some regions, girls are not even allowed to attend secondary schools,” Aliyeva said. Another area of concern is the education of children in orphanages and boarding schools, she said. “Although the government constantly keeps them in the focus of attention, what I am worried about is the number of kids in these schools, which is rising by the day. Our research shows that most of them have at least one parent. It is perturbing that these people are keeping [their] children outside their families.”

In conclusion, the congress participants adopted an appeal to the UN, the Council of Europe and other international groups. It called for considerably increasing the role of women in decision-making and peacemaking process, in particular, in the resolution of conflicts, and stepping international cooperation in promoting gender equality, sustainable dialog, tolerance, justice and peaceful co-existence. The document also urged ensuring the equality between men and women in socio-political processes and other areas.

The participants further called for stepping up efforts of the UN and other international organizations at putting an end to Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan, and ensuring the protection of the rights of women and children affected by the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict.