Azerbaijan hosts event on women's rights at UN Headquarters

At UN Headquarters, a high-level side event titled Empowering Women in CICA Countries was held within the framework of the 70th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), Report informs.

The event was organized by Azerbaijan's Permanent Mission to the UN and the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs, with the support of the Secretariat of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

The purpose of the event was to discuss strengthening women's empowerment in the CICA region, expanding their participation in decision-making processes, and developing more systematic and sustainable mechanisms of cooperation among states in this field.

Speaking at the panel discussion, Bahar Muradova, Chairperson of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs of Azerbaijan, stressed that broad representation of women in governance and decision-making is essential for regional stability and sustainable development. She noted that women's active participation in political, economic, and social life is not only a matter of gender equality but also of development and security.

Muradova emphasized that protecting girls' right to education, preventing early marriages, raising women's legal awareness, and expanding access to economic opportunities are among the main priorities.

Other speakers included CICA Deputy Secretary-General Zhang Ling, Turkish MP Cigdem Erdogan, Kyrgyzstan's Permanent Representative to the UN Aida Kasymalieva, and Paivi Kannisto, Chief of Peace and Security at UN Women.

They expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan for organizing such an important discussion platform on women's empowerment, noting that this initiative will contribute to expanding cooperation within the CICA region and increasing women's participation in decision-making processes.

The event was moderated by Nahida Baghirova, Adviser to Azerbaijan's Permanent Mission to the UN, and concluded with a Q&A session.