BackThe “Young Citizen” Education Public Union organized a public discussion on “Equal rights and equal opportunities” for eliminating causes of domestic violence (DV), regulating property disputes within family relations, social protection of DV victims and their education in the concerned field.
Relevant state bodies, international and non-governmental organizations, media and Ombudsman’s representatives Mr. Mahmudov and Mrs. Zeynalova took part in this event.
In his presentation, Mr. Mahmudov said that DV is a global problem resulting in severe violation of human rights, degrading and threatening the human life, which therefore, needs both, the improvement of the legislative framework and the organization of legal awareness events. The Commissioner has always paid attention to preventive measures against violent acts, she holds various awareness events in Baku and other regions, and drafts recommendations for developing legislative and institutional mechanisms.
The majority of the Commissioner’s recommendations, which were considered, resulted in the enactment of the Law on Prevention of Domestic Violence and included provisions into the National Action Program on Raising Effectiveness of Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms in the Republic of Azerbaijan as well as into the “Azerbaijan 2020: Look into Future” development concept that is still successfully enforced.
In the discussion it was noted that it is necessary to achieve Goal 5 of the UN SDGs for 2016-2030, which is about gender equality and women’s empowerment; to consider the Commissioner’s recommendations to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention) and the Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (the Lanzarote Convention); to accelerate the adoption of the national Law on the Protection of Children against Corporal Punishment; to develop and enforce programs about social protection and cohesion of DV victims, including women and children and victims of human trafficking, as well as to create regional social shelters for social-psychological rehabilitation.
Source: Ombudsman Office, Azerbaijan
