Stronger women: stronger Azerbaijan – factsheet
March 7, 2021

Stronger women: stronger Azerbaijan – factsheet


For sixty years, the European Union has worked tirelessly to defend women’s rights and to empower them to realise their full potential. Gender equality is at the heart of the EU’s Eastern Partnership initiative. It is vital to the individual lives of women as well as men, and essential for long-term democratic development.  In its cooperation with Azerbaijan, the EU is driving real change by strengthening women in business, providing opportunities for quality education and promoting a fair society.

 

WHAT IS BEING DONE

  • Gender action plans
    Taking account of gender issues across public policies and generating statistics based on gender
  • New and improved legislation
    Adopting and applying anti-discrimination and domestic violence laws
  • More women in business
    Making loans via local banks available for women-led enterprises: medium and large-sized businesses have access to loans through the National Fund of Assistance to Entrepreneurship; although the Fund does not have quotas for women-led businesses, it attempts to attract female clients by offering them favourable terms
  • New study and career opportunities
    Offering a wide range of exchange programmes across Europe with Erasmus+
  • Young women leaders
    Enhancing the active participation of young women through the EU4Youth programme

           

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

The EU supports women entrepreneurs in Azerbaijan through the Women in Business programme, which is implemented by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Support provided by the programme includes business advice, training and mentoring to women-led companies.

Find out how you can take part www.ebrdwomeninbusiness.com 

In 2019, 90 women entrepreneurs in Azerbaijan received loans to a total value of €575,000 under EU support programmes for SMEs, while almost 3,000 benefitted from consultancy services. Turnover among supported companies rose by €18.8 million, and 1,268 new jobs were created as a result of the support.

You just need to follow your dream.” Afet Akhmadova expanded her gourmet food brand with advisory and export support from EU4Business.

Women in Azerbaijan also have access to a range of other funding, business advice and training opportunities provided under the EU4Business initiative. Find out more http://www.eu4business.eu/azerbaijan

 

NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

Through its Erasmus+ programme, the EU offers young women and men in Azerbaijan a huge range of exchange opportunities across Europe.

Erasmus+ opportunities include:

“It’s not just a year in a new place… It’s a huge life experience.” Irana Alimova was an Erasmus student in Portugal – she now works for an international company in Baku.

  • Almost 1,600 students and academic staff from Azerbaijan have benefited from exchanges to EU universities between 2015 and 2019.
  • Over 3,300 young people and youth workers from Azerbaijan took part in Erasmus+ short-term exchanges, mobility, training and volunteering projects.

Erasmus+ in Azerbaijan: all your questions answered: https://www.euneighbours.eu/en/east/stay-informed/cards/erasmus-azerbaijan

 

A FAIR SOCIETY

In 2019, the EU and UNDP launched the new Gender-Based Municipal Academy, a non-formal education platform for women to increase their knowledge and skills in areas such as local governance, leadership and election observation. One of the goals of the Academy was to help increase the number of women running for office by providing capacity-building and learning opportunities.

“It changed my ideas about what it’s possible to achieve for women and by women.” Dilara Akhmedova was one of the first graduates of the Academy for Gender Issues.

Dilara’s story: find out how Azerbaijan’s first woman football manager became one of her region’s first woman municipal councillors.

 

EU4GENDER EQUALITY

This regional programme, funded by the European Union across the Eastern Partnership, seeks to strengthen equal rights and opportunities for women and men by shifting social perceptions around gender roles, tackling gender stereotypes and increasing men’s participation in childcare and other domestic responsibilities.

In Azerbaijan, the project has developed a series of videos to combat gender stereotypes and gender-based violence:

Educate and empower girls for a better future!

Empower girls for a decent life without violence!

Building healthy and non-violent relationships

Find out more: EU 4 Gender Equality: Together Against Gender Stereotypes and Gender-Based Violence

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