By Alish Abdulla
Copyright trend
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 17. Azerbaijani
Parliament Speaker Sahiba Gafarova, who is visiting the city of
Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia for the 46th General Assembly
of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) of the Association of
SoutheastAsian Nations, has delivered a speech at the
2nd Forum of AIPA Women Political Leaders today, a
source in the parliament told Trend.
Speaking at the opening of the event, AIPA Secretary General
Siti Rozaimeriyanty Dato Haji Abdul Rahman voiced his ideas about
the significance of the congregation.
Also, he greeted Gafarova and witnessed appreciation of her
participation in the forum.
In her speech, she lauded the constant attention of the AIPA to
issues related to women, saying that the discussions about forming
more inclusive parliaments that would be sensitive to gender
matters aroused the intense interest of all women MPs.
According to the speaker, she, an MP who had investigated
gender-related subjects and held various concerns with gender
equality and combating violence against women in international
parliamentary organizations, had always highlighted the decisive
gravitas of one factor in this whole topicality.
She added that it is necessary that the idea of women and men
having equal rights become one of the fundamental societal values
for success to be attained.
On the other hand, it should be admitted that a strong,
prosperous, and sustainable society is impossible to build without
women’s equal participation in all the areas of social life and in
the decision-making process.
Having recalled in her address that parliament, in general,
reflects society’s requirements and existing dynamics, Sahiba
Gafarova remarked that, at the same time, parliaments have at their
disposal powerful means of directing changes, be it within
themselves or in society.
Legislative activity, which sets the necessary frameworks of
conduct, is one of the most important means of them all.
According to the speaker, the growing participation of women in
parliaments provides for a more sensitive approach on the part of
legislative authorities to gender issues in the representative and
administrative fields.
This causes women’s views to be reflected in the legislative
process, making them a key stakeholder in this process.
Thus, all that was said earlier reinforces parliaments’ roles in
the promotion of equality and democracy in society whilst also
making parliaments more inclusive and prepared for future
challenges.
Gafarova also informed the participants of the Forum of Women
Political Leaders of the experience and achievements of the
Parliament of Azerbaijan and the gender policy-related achievements
secured in the country.
She declared Azerbaijan’s utter commitment to the protection of
women’s rights and ensuring women’s active engagement in
decision-making.
The speaker recalled that Azerbaijan had given women the
suffrage back in 1918—earlier than the majority of European
states—and, following the election held in September 2024, women
won 26 out of the 125 seats in the parliament, a growth from the
preceding period.
Women MPs are represented in the majority of parliamentary
committees today, which ensures that their opinions are taken into
account when all the matters that the parliament regulates are
discussed. Also, five out of the 15 parliamentary committees have
women as deputy chairwomen.
The Standing Committee for Family, Women’s, and Children’s
Affairs is led by a woman MP. This committee has considered 47
draft laws and held 16 public hearings on gender and family topics
over the past five years.
The Azerbaijani Parliament, besides, is actively co-operating
with the State Committee for Family, Women’s, and Children’s
Problems of Azerbaijan, which guarantees efficient interaction
between the Parliament and the Government whilst also reinforcing
the co-ordination of efforts.
Continuing her address, Gafarova also broached the
gender-related initiatives and endeavors of Azerbaijan in
international parliamentary organizations.
She said that the Parliament of Azerbaijan, which is closely
involved with the work done by inter-parliamentary organizations,
tables initiatives to enrich the pertaining agenda and provides a
powerful backing to international cooperation across women-related
For instance, the Group of Women Parliamentarians of the
Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States was incepted at the Ninth
Plenary Session of the Assembly, held in Baku in 2019.
As the incumbent chair of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, the
Azerbaijani parliament has motioned the establishment of the
Assembly’s Committee for Women’s Affairs—this motion is being
considered by the Member Parliaments.
Furthermore, Azerbaijani women MPs take an active part in the
work of a number of other parliamentary organizations as well as of
the Forum of Women Parliamentarians and the Gender Partnership
Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
In conclusion of her address, Gafarova remarked that the
discussions of today reiterate the importance of international
cooperation—the joint activities of women parliamentarians and
exchange of best experience amongst them.
She reminded the assembly of the necessity of such an approach
having been emphasized at the 15th Summit of Women
Speakers of Parliament held in the town of Geneva in Switzerland in
July this year as well.
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