CONFERENCE ON FIGHTING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN HELD IN BAKU

Baku, 27 November, (Azer TAc)Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Azerbaijan`s State Committee
on Family, Women and Children, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for
Refugees and Azerbaijan office of United Nations Population Fund have today convened
a conference on fighting violence against women to mark 25 November - the UN`s
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Chairwoman of State Committee on Family, Women and Children, Hijran Huseynova said
violence against women remains one of the most widespread crimes in the world. She
pointed out violence against women, and early marriages are problems existing today
in Azerbaijan. H. Huseynova informed the participants about measures undertaken by
the Azerbaijan government to prevent violence against women. She said a project
"21st Century without violence against women" was implemented jointly by the Heydar
Aliyev Foundation, State Committee on Family, Women and Children and UNFPA in early
2008.
UNFPA country director for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia Peer Sieben and
department chief of United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees Ayaz
Khan also spoke about importance of measures to prevent violence against women and
achieve gender balance.
Other speakers, including chairman of parliament`s standing commission for social
policy Hadi Rajabli, member of parliament Ganira Pahsayeva, chief department on
Human rights and Public relations at the Ministry of Justice Faig Gurbanov, chief
department on fighting human traffic at the Ministry of Internal affairs Javad
Shikhaliyev stressed the role of law-enforcement bodies, workers of education and
healthcare sectors in preventing violence against women.
They also noted that thousands of women had been subjected to violence in the wake
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.