* The present document is being issued without formal editing.

Information received from Azerbaijan on follow-up to the concluding observations on its sixth periodic report *

[Date received: 29 July 2024]

I. Follow-up information relating to paragraph 12 (d) of the concluding observations (CEDAW/C/AZE/CO/6)

1.The National Action Plan (NAP) for the years of 2020-2023 On the Prevention of Domestic Violence was approved by the President’s Decree dated November 27, 2020. The State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SCFWCA) prepared many proposals for several legislation acts to improve the normative legal basis related to the fight against domestic violence.

2.Two draft laws based on legal acts are adopted at the session of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan held on February 23, 2024.

3.Furthermore, according to the amendments made the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the compensation for free legal assistance provided to a victim of domestic violence will be covered by the funds from the State budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan in line with the Law On Lawyers and Lawyer’s Activities of the Republic of Azerbaijan, except in cases where the court imposes this responsibility on the convicted person.

4.Since August 1, 2021, the Social Services Agency under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population has launched the activities of its Department for Social Rehabilitation of Victims of Domestic Violence at the Shelter and Social Rehabilitation Institution for vulnerable groups of population. The Department provides not only the shelter for domestic violence victims, but also delivers psychological-social support and counselling.

5.Victims of domestic violence are provided with rehabilitation oriented social services, including legal assistance. Since its inception, the Department has provided social services to 155 persons (54 women, 101 children).

II.Follow-up information relating to paragraph 14 (e) of the concluding observations

6.The State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs and UNDP Country Office are teamed up to timely provide very significant services and extend their hand of assistance to the most vulnerable groups by creating the Community Resource Centres in the districts of Fuzuli, Agjabedi and Terter heavily affected by the war to ensure early relief and build community resilience.

7.The Community Resource Centres help to identify the most urgent needs of affected communities, and extend social and economic relief support, including counselling services on livelihoods, psychological and social support, and business opportunities to the most vulnerable people while focusing mainly on women, children and persons with disabilities.

8.The Resource Centres regularly organizes awareness training on various topics (financial literacy, budget management, development of entrepreneurial and business skills, marketing, communications, ICT and accounting), and extend legal and psychological support to applying women.

9.The Resource Centre has already completed three projects, including construction of a water supply pipe for agricultural irrigation in the Horadiz city of Fuzuli, and implementing gravel covering of roads in rural settlements of Gazakhlilar and Ahmadalilar within the framework of abovementioned project.

10.The Azerbaijan Employment Support project is approved and implemented with joint cooperative efforts of the World Bank and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population. The project lifecycle spans the years of 2020-2025 and envisages opening up self-employment opportunities for 22 thousand persons registered by the State employment services as unemployed people in the national territory, including the territories liberated from the occupation. Its implementation phase will primarily focus on persons in special need of social protection and job seekers, including women.

III.Follow-up information relating to paragraph 16 (b) of the concluding observations

11.The Government is currently working on finalizing the draft of the National Action Plan On Gender Equality for the years of 2025-2028 elaborated by the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs (SCFWCA).

IV.Follow-up information relating to paragraph 32 (a) of the concluding observations

12.In order to safeguard the health of women in Azerbaijan, certain restrictions have been implemented. The number of restrictions on women’s work has been reevaluated and significantly reduced. According to the amendment to the Labor Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the list of 674 professions and workplaces where women were previously prohibited from working has been decreased to 204.

13.At the same time, such professions and jobs are restricted not for all women, but only those that are pregnant or have a child under one year old. Decisions adopted so far in relation to working obligations, are aimed at increasing employment opportunities of women.

14.The draft Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Making Amendments to the Labor Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan is approved by the Law 1063-VIQD of 22 December 2023. In accordance with mentioned Law, women in pregnancy, or with a child whose age is under 14, and also, with a child whose disability is defined until the age of 18, are allowed to work on a night shift equally with men or extra working hours or accept their secondment only on the basis of women’s written consent.

15.Besides that, a series of public awareness events are organized in the framework of the Gender Equality in Labor Relations – Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities campaign held in 14 economic regions of Azerbaijan with participation of (over 700) representatives of employers and social partners selected following the analysis conducted to define businesses with less number of employed women (by the type of economic activities) based on Labor and Employment Sub System (LES) to promote the employment of women in businesses with men’s domination and ensure gender equality. At the same time, the informative handbook covering these issues is elaborated and distributed to participants.