According to APA-Economics, this was stated by Saida Bagirli, the Operations Specialist at the World Bank’s Azerbaijan Office, during the event titled “Leadership Achievements in Promoting Women’s Work and Career Development in Azerbaijan,” organized by the World Bank.
Bagirli highlighted that women occupy only a small proportion of managerial and technical roles in these critical sectors, contributing to significant gender-based wage disparities. On average, women in Azerbaijan earn approximately 35% less than men per month.
She also noted that Azerbaijan has taken concrete steps to address these barriers: “In late 2022, with analytical support from the World Bank, Azerbaijan eliminated gender-based legal restrictions on women’s employment. In 2023, the country also lifted restrictions on women working night shifts.”
Despite numerous challenges, Azerbaijan has made notable progress in addressing gender inequality in male-dominated sectors like transportation, energy, and construction. The World Bank has supported these improvements through its Gender Advisory Services program, implemented under the Azerbaijan Flexible Technical Assistance Facility (AZTAF), funded by the European Union (EU).
The EU-funded AZTAF program has helped the Azerbaijani government tackle gender-based occupational segregation by supporting labor code reforms. It also partnered with selected state enterprises, including Azerbaijan Railways and Baku Port, to reduce gender disparities in the workforce.
During the event, the World Bank also presented its new report, “Removing Barriers to Women’s Employment in Azerbaijan,” developed under the AZTAF program. The report includes key findings from in-depth gender assessments of Azerbaijan Railways and Baku Port. It addresses challenges faced by women in recruitment, inclusivity, career progression, and leadership opportunities. Additionally, it provides policymakers and employers with actionable recommendations to attract more women into technical fields, promote equal hiring opportunities, create inclusive workplaces, and support women’s career advancement. The recommendations are relevant not only for Azerbaijan but also for other countries aiming to increase women’s participation in traditionally male-dominated sectors. The report offers specific data on countries and companies, shares best practices in Azerbaijan, and suggests indicators to track progress.
Today’s event also featured the introduction of an online training course titled “Occupational Safety, Health, and Harassment and Bullying: A Gender Perspective,” developed in Azerbaijani and English under the AZTAF program. The course aims to educate participants about gender-related risks and inspire them to adopt new approaches to workplace safety, health, and harassment through modules designed for enterprise leaders, industries, workers, and governments.
