In Azerbaijan, advanced women drive rural and urban development
06 June 2018
- The past decade has seen a steady and upward growth in Azerbaijan, as both the economic, financial and social wellbeing of the country has significantly improved, extreme poverty was eradicated and the level of absolute poverty decreased from 49% to 5%.
Moreover, school enrolment rates reached 99.8-100% and progress was made on gender equality and women’s empowerment. Gender gaps in primary and secondary education have dropped considerably in comparison with previous years. During this time, employment opportunities have also seen a significant rise, as numerous new business openings were introduced both in the capital Baku and in the regions.
However, despite all the progressive developments, the unemployment rate among women in Azerbaijan continues to be remarkably higher than among men. Oftentimes faced with segregation in a number of industries and occupations, women tend to be primarily employed in low-wage sectors traditionally regarded as ‘female’ jobs, such as in education, health and social services. Disparities are also observed in the level of men’s and women’s participation in entrepreneurial activity, with women comprising only 26.38 % of the country’s total number of entrepreneurs.
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