Azerbaijan: Update to AZE27620.E of 2 October 1997 on the protection or redress available to women who are victims of domestic violence

A 31 July 1999 WIN News article reported that

Violence against women is reaching "epidemic proportions" in Azerbaijan and affects close to 40% of women, according to the UN Development Program and is the greatest single violation of human rights in the country. ...

Human rights groups say the thousands of women who are beaten and raped each year keep silent because of a fear of being ostracized.

... A recent survey of Azerbaijani women conducted by the UNDP found that 32% of victims suffered violence in their parents' homes, 58% from their husbands, and 10% on the street or at work.

... Azerbaijani officials say that they are trying to combat the problem by introducing laws to eradicate sexual discrimination and to punish rape and violence against women.

On 31 March 2001, President Heydar Aliyev signed the law "On endorsing the UN Convention to [Eliminate] All Forms of Discrimination Against Women" which was to be enacted on the date of its publication (Turan News Agency 31 Mar. 2001). According to a UNIFEM press release, experts, lawyers and government officials from ten countries, including Azerbaijan, came together in June 2002 to discuss the importance and implementation of domestic violence laws (June 2002). UNIFEM's Webpage entitled "Azerbaijan" states that an association called Symmetry is currently working in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice to draft a law on violence against women (2002). According to Symmetry's President, Dr. Kamilla Dadashova, the organization is the first in Azerbaijan to focus specifically on violence against women (OSCE/ODIHR 2001).

Under the section "Crisis Centre and Credit Hotline" of UNIFEM's Webpage, contact information for the "Crisis Centre for Psychological Support to Women Victims of Violence" is provided (2002). An unsuccessful attempt was made by the Research Directorate to obtain information on domestic violence from this organization. No other organizations that support women who are victims of domestic violence were listed on this Website.

The Website of the Women's Rights Monitoring Group of Azerbaijan includes a section on Violence Against Women (n.d.). However, no mention of direct services or support programs to women victims of domestic violence were found on the Website. A UNDP 1998 general "Directory of Women's Non-Governmental Organizations" in Azerbaijan can be found on the internet at .

Jennifer LeDuc, who is an advocate for the Women's Center, Inc. in Carbondale, Illinois and who facilitated training sessions on domestic violence for advocates and professionals in Azerbaijan in May 2002, stated in an article published in the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) newsletter that "a survivor [of domestic violence] has fewer options available to her [than in the United States] due to [the] non-existence of shelters or crisis centers in Azerbaijan" (ICADV Summer 2002). She goes on to state that "the ability to establish a shelter or crisis center is a large obstacle for the Azeri people because there are no funding sources to assist any NGO in establishing such an agency" (ibid.).

Finally, an initiative called "16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence" organized by the Azerbaijani Humanitarian Center YUVA and Women with University Education is being held from 25 November 2002 to 10 December 2002 (OSI n.d.; Womenaid.org n.d.). The initiative intends "to change conditions and institutions that perpetuate violence" through raising pubic awareness, gaining government support and strengthening civil society organizations (OSI n.d.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV). 2000. For Better Times. Jennifer Leduc. "Domestic Violence in Azerbaijan." [Accessed 3 Dec. 2002]

Open Society Institute (OSI). n.d. "16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence." [Accessed 3 Dec. 2002]

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR). 2001. Ten Years of ODIHR: Working for Human Rights and Democracy (1991-2001). "Gender Equality Case Study: Eradicating Violence Against Women." [Accessed 4 Dec. 2002]

Turan News Agency [Baku, in Russian]. 31 March 2001. "Azeri President Signs Law Banning Discrimination Against Women." (BBC Monitoring 31 Mar. 2002/NEXIS)

United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). June 2002. Press Release. "UNIFEM Regional Public Awareness Campaign "Life Free of Violence." [Accessed 3 Dec. 2002]

_____. 2002. "Azerbaijan." [Accessed 3 Dec. 2002]

United Nations Development Program (UNDP). 1998. "Directory of Women's Non-Governmental Organizations." [Accessed 3 Dec. 2002]

Womenaid.org. n.d. "Caucasus 16 Days Azerbaijan Coordination Committee." [Accessed 4 Dec. 2002]

WIN News. 31 July 1999. "Azerbaijan: Violence Against Women an Epidemic." (NEXIS)

Women's Rights Monitoring Group, Baku. n.d. "Violence Against Women." [Accessed 4 Dec. 2002]

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB Databases

LEXIS/NEXIS

Unsuccessful attempts to obtain information from two organizations in Azerbaijan.

Internet sites, including:

Amnesty International

Azerbaijan's Human Rights Links

Human Rights Watch

United Nations: UNIFEM, UNDP, CEDAW

WIN News

Women's Human Rights Net

Women's Human Rights Resources

Women, Law and Development International

Women's Rights Monitoring Group, Azerbaijan