Tokyo, 8 March, /AJMEDIA/
Today, as in all parts of the world, International Women’s Day is celebrated in Azerbaijan.
The history of the women’s movement began in 1857 with the protest of women against the 12-hour workday in New York. In 1910, German socialist Clara Zetkin achieved the celebration of March 8 as International Women’s Day. In 1977, the UN officially recognized this day as Women’s Day.
Azerbaijani women have always held our people high with their intelligence, wisdom, loyalty, heroism, devotion, and high maternal qualities. Our women have also played a great role in the formation and development of the spiritual values of our people, who have given rare pearls to the treasury of world culture. At the same time, Azerbaijani women have made their significant contributions to solving the fateful issues of our people in all periods of our history. The names of many of them are written in golden letters on the pages of our centuries-old history.
Let’s take a look at the role of women in the life of the country and society, and some aspects of our state’s policy towards women in the modern era.
The 20th century was remembered for the increase in the role of women in society all over the world. Azerbaijani women, both during the People’s Republic and during the years of Soviet rule, very effectively used the opportunities created for the benefit of the people, the state, and society.
By the way, let us note that in the United States, women were able to exercise the right to vote in 1934, in France in 1945, and in Liechtenstein only in 1984. In this regard, the acquisition of this right by Azerbaijani women in 1919 indicates the high development of society in that area.
Today, in independent Azerbaijan, the place and role of women in society is highly appreciated both due to the respect that our people have for their mental traditions and the policy pursued by our state. A modern Azerbaijani woman is not only a mother, but also a skilled politician, businesswoman, civil servant, and a deputy trusted and voted for by the people. This activity, along with the historical traditions of Azerbaijani women, stems from the essence of the gender policy implemented in our country, and from the creation of the necessary conditions for women to equally enjoy all opportunities as full members of society. As a result of the decisive steps of the great leader Heydar Aliyev, since 1993, the transformation of women into public and political life, their representation in state administration, and equal rights with men in all areas have become one of the priority directions of the state administration course.
The thoughts of the great leader Heydar Aliyev regarding the Azerbaijani woman are very valuable: “The people of Azerbaijan have always treated women, the role they play in the life of society, and the high position they occupy with great respect. The concepts of homeland, land, and language, which the people consider the most dear, valuable, and sacred, are equated with the name of mother. The deep respect shown to the name of woman and endless maternal love have found their bright embodiment in our monuments of speech and art. Prominent representatives of our literature and culture have praised the courage, beauty, and spiritual purity of Azerbaijani women in their works.”
The Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, adopted in 1995, confirmed the equal rights of women with men and created a legal basis for their active participation in the process of democratic state building. Article 25 of the Constitution, which forms a reliable basis for the protection of women’s rights, unambiguously establishes the equality of all before the law and the court, as well as the equal rights and freedoms of men and women.
As a result of the women’s policy of the National Leader, who always focused on the protection of women’s rights and the organization of their social activism in Azerbaijan, in 1998 the State Committee on Women’s Issues (now the same committee has been called the State Committee on Family, Women and Children’s Issues since 2006) was established in our country in order to protect women’s rights and centralize this system. The Decree “On the Implementation of the State Women’s Policy in the Republic of Azerbaijan” signed in 2000 further increased the opportunities of women in our country.
The state women’s policy in our republic, the traditions laid down by the great leader Heydar Aliyev in this direction, are being worthily continued today by President Ilham Aliyev. The role and place of women in society, their representation and promotion in state administration are being carefully approached: “The preservation of our rich spiritual and moral wealth and its worthy survival to this day are closely linked to the name of our mothers. Azerbaijani women, distinguished by their beauty, elegance and nobility, have also written bright pages in our history by showing skill and courage. They have always been a true moral support for our society in all fateful moments of trial, and have once again proven this fact with their sacrifices in the 44-day Patriotic War.
Contemporary Azerbaijani women, who remain faithful to the traditional family values inherent in our people, also have a strong sense of modernity and an innovative nature. As creatively minded successors of their enlightened predecessors who worked hard on the path of cultural progress, their current high public reputation and significant achievements in the fields of healthcare, education, culture and science are among the factors characterizing the comprehensive development of our country.
We are in the honorable and proud stage of our independence period. I believe that Azerbaijani women will continue to pay special attention to the upbringing of the younger generation in the spirit of loyalty to the homeland and our statehood, which is the embodiment of our national ideals, and will closely participate in constructive work for the sake of our bright future with their full socio-cultural activities that bring harmony to the rise of society.”
The successful activity of First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva in the socio-political life of the country, the work she has done for the sake of our state, statehood, and the welfare of the people, and the good deeds she has done confirm how active Azerbaijani women are today. The comprehensive brilliant activity of the First Lady of Azerbaijan, her mission of kindness, and her work in the field of promoting our culture all over the world are a real example.
Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva also carries out extensive and purposeful activities to promote Azerbaijan, to inform the world about the realities of Karabakh and the Khojaly genocide. The events held on her initiative also indicate the potential of Azerbaijani youth.
Today is International Women’s Day. The widespread celebration of this day in our country is a vivid expression of the irreplaceable role of women in our lives, respect and honor for mothers, and our rich spiritual values. Azerbaijani women, who have always deeply understood their responsibility to society, will continue to make great contributions to the progress of our independent republic.
Vugar Aghayev
