Azerbaijan - Human Rights Council - Domestic Violence - October 2017
Date: October 1, 2017
Country: Azerbaijan
Issues: Accountability , Bias and Discrimination, Gender-Based Violence, International Advocacy, Women's Rights
Mechanism: Universal Periodic Review
Report Type: Stakeholder Report
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Country: Azerbaijan
Issues: Accountability , Bias and Discrimination, Gender-Based Violence, International Advocacy, Women's Rights
Mechanism: Universal Periodic Review
Report Type: Stakeholder Report
View and Download Document:
In May 2018, The Advocates for Human Rights submitted a report to the Human Rights Council addressing violence against women in Azerbaijan during the country's Universal Periodic Review (UPR.) Domestic violence is an ongoing issue in the country, where 43% of women have experienced domestic violence. In 29% of the cases, the abuser was the victim's spouse. Domestic violence is largely a private matter in Azerbaijan, resulting in the normalization of abuse and underreporting of cases. In 2010, the government of Azerbaijan adopted the Law on Prevention of Domestic Violence, but has yet to effectively implement it, and has made further amendments to the law.
Azerbaijan received 28 recommendations during its 2013 UPR surrounding the state of women's human rights in the country, including issues of domestic violence. While Azerbaijan has accepted all 28 recommendations, its implementation of these recommendations has not been monitored, nor have officials engaged in effective training to promote the necessary changes. Government support and funding of anti-domestic violence initiatives has been inadequate, as existing laws, training, and interagency cooperation remain weak.
Our report includes a variety of recommendations for Azerbaijan including: amend and monitor the implementation of the Domestic Violence Law; allocate adequate funding for NGOs that provide victim services; undertake public awareness campaigns; undertake measures to ensure that all domestic violence murders are tracked; amend the Criminal Code to criminalize domestic violence.
