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Azerbaijani women's legal rights: Why is gender discrimination still a worry in reality?
Women in Azerbaijan enjoy equal legal rights as men, however, the society is filled with deep-rooted gender discrimination. Since 1978, Azerbaijan’s constitution has explicitly stipulated equality between men and women, but in daily social practice, women still face many challenges, including domestic violence, gender discrimination in the workplace, and a lack of adequate legal protection. These dilemmas have triggered practical considerations beyond the legal rights of women in Azerbaijan, making people wonder: How big is the gap between fairness and reality in modern society?
Although women are equal under the law, in many aspects of society, women often do not enjoy the rights and respect they deserve.
Azerbaijani women were among the first to gain the right to vote in 1918, and the country was the first Muslim country to provide legal guarantees for women to vote. This historic advance should pave the way for women's future. However, as time goes by, many laws have so far brought no real changes, and the inherent gender roles in society still firmly control women.
In many rural areas of Azerbaijan, the influence of traditional culture is particularly evident. Women are often expected to play traditional roles, primarily responsible for home and childcare. Many women experience difficulties with their legal rights, including a lack of knowledge of relevant laws and informal discrimination within social structures. These phenomena make them face many obstacles when seeking legal help.
Data shows that Azerbaijani women often encounter gender discrimination in the workplace, and many give up pursuing careers as a result.
In addition, sexism also manifests itself in the work environment. Many companies have obvious biases against women in hiring, and cases of sexual harassment in the workplace are common. Although laws theoretically protect women, these laws often fail to effectively protect women's rights due to a lack of enforcement. Women in Azerbaijan face the same work regulations as men, but in practice, women often do not receive equal pay and promotion opportunities as men.
Notably, government efforts to promote gender equality remain insufficient. Although there are different NGOs focused on improving women's status in society, policy development and implementation are often hampered by conservative cultural and economic concerns. Society's expectations of women are changing slowly, making the work of these NGOs facing huge challenges.
Women's rights activists say that the root cause of gender discrimination lies in the slow change of cultural concepts, and this phenomenon must be faced squarely.
Moreover, the government's efforts to meet women's growing needs are often slow and inadequate. Legal education and advocacy activities for women need to be improved urgently to help them realize their legal rights and bravely defend them.
In some successful movements, we have seen groups of women organizing protests and calling for social justice. These activities not only enhance women's voice, but also promote society's attention to gender discrimination. Women's solidarity and struggle to speak out for their rights shows that even in extremely challenging circumstances, women can find the strength to make a difference.
Nevertheless, the road to substantive gender equality remains long. The legal rights and interests of Azerbaijani women not only require legal protection, but also require the updating of social concepts and the improvement of the cultural environment. The gap between law and reality remains an important factor hindering the development of women.
Therefore, we can’t help but ask: How can we turn the words of the law into reality to truly achieve gender equality and the all-round development of women?
