Forty-ninth session

11-29 July 2011

Information provided in follow-up to the concluding observations of the Committee

Azerbaijan

Response by Azerbaijan to the recommendations contained in the concluding observations of the Committee following the examination of the fourth periodic report of Azerbaijan on 24 July 2009

Follow-up report of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children’s Affairs on the implementation of recommendations contained in paragraphs 16 and 22 of the concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW/C/AZE/CO/4)

Recommendation in paragraph 16 pertaining to discriminatory laws

The Committee urges the State party to speedily enact the amendment to the Family Code in order to equalize the minimum age of marriage for women and men to 18, in accordance with article 16 of the Convention and the Committee’s general recommendation No. 21.

Information on its implementation

1.During the constructive dialogue, the head of delegation informed the Committee that Parliament would consider an amendment to the Family Code at its session in the third quarter of 2009 in order to discuss the equalization of the minimum legal age of marriage for women and men to 18. Currently, under the Family Code of Azerbaijan, the minimum legal age of marriage for women is 17.

2.The State Committee for Family, Women and Children’s Affairs wishes to reiterate the political will of the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan to remove all discriminatory laws in its legislation in order to be in full conformity with all the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

3.The State Committee for Family, Women and Children’s Affairs confirms that discussions on the amendment to the Family Code with a view to equalizing the minimum legal age of marriage to 18 for both men and women have started in Parliament and that consultations with the relevant Committees, with the participation of experts, are ongoing.

4.The question of the adoption of the amendments to the Family Code in that regard has been added to the agenda of the fall session of the Parliament of the Republic of Azerbaijan (“Milli Majlis”).

Recommendations in paragraph 22 with regard to violence against women

The Committee urges the State party to accelerate the adoption of the draft law on domestic violence and to ensure that it contains provisions pertaining to sexual violence within the family. The Committee requests the State party to continue its efforts to combat violence against women and girls, in particular domestic violence. It recommends that the State party pursue its public awareness campaigns to combat all forms of violence against women through the media and education programmes. It calls upon the State party to ensure that women and girls who are victims of violence have access to immediate means of redress and protection, including protection orders and the availability of a sufficient number of adequate shelters in all regions. The Committee recommends that legal aid continue to be made available to all victims of violence, including through the establishment of legal aid clinics, especially in rural areas. It also requests the implementation of training for the judiciary and public officials, in particular law enforcement personnel, health-service providers and community development officers, in order to ensure that they are sensitized to all forms of violence against women and girls and can provide adequate gender-sensitive support to victims. The Committee calls on the State party to amend its Criminal Code. It reiterates its previous recommendation that the State party should conduct research on the prevalence, causes and consequences of all forms of violence against women, including domestic violence, to serve as the basis for comprehensive and targeted intervention.

Information on its implementation

Enactment of specific law on domestic violence

5.The law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on domestic violence passed three readings during the summer session of the Parliament and was adopted on 22 June 2010. On 1 October 2010, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed a decree on the realization of the law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on domestic violence.

6.The law is comprehensive, and contains provisions aimed at combating domestic violence and protection measures for victims of violence.

7.Women subjected to violence need access to shelters, medical, psychological and other support, legal aid and other services which are made available to the victims.

The project “Twenty-first century without violence against women”

8.The project “Twenty-first century without violence against women”, which was signed between the State Committee for Family, Women and Children’s Affairs, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the United Nations Population Fund on 16 January 2008, was extended in order to better support a large number of measures aimed at combating violence against women. When the project was designed, the State Committee for Family, Women and Children’s Affairs and its partners followed the guidance provided by the Committee in its general recommendation No. 19 on violence against women.

9.The project covered three crucial components:

•Development of protection and rehabilitation capacities of public institutions for victims of violence

•Preparation of national education programmes on non-violent behaviour for those who committed acts of violence (perpetrators)

•Rehabilitation measures for victims of violence.

10.In the framework of the project, four shelters for victims of violence will be available. Shelters are available and are currently being used in Azerbaijan.

Capacity-building and training

11.The State Committee for Family, Women and Children’s Affairs is fully aware that all those who respond to violence against women require capacity to deal with such violence in a gender-sensitive manner. As such, advocacy measures have been taken, with the participation of local administrative bodies, municipalities and civil society. Women’s assistance centres have been created to increase the efficiency of measures to protect women’s rights in the framework of the project.

12.Different measures have been taken to meet the demands of ensuring women’s rights and freedoms emanating from the provisions of international and local laws, including the prevention of discrimination and acts against the law. As women’s rights and freedoms have always been kept in the centre of attention, various activities in that regard have been carried out.

13.As one of the most serious problems in society, the issue of violence against women is always kept in the centre of attention in the context of advocacy measures on women’s rights by relevant public institutions and non-governmental organizations, and especially through materials distributed by mass media.

14.Close relationships have been built between public institutions, non‑governmental organizations and mass media that work to eliminate discrimination and violence against women and girls.