At the request of the Speaker of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan, Sahiba Gafarova, Vice President of the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) and Milli Majlis Deputy, Sevil Mikayilova, delivered a speech in New York during the “Intergenerational Dialogue of Women and Men Parliamentarians” on the topic “Supporting Women’s Participation in Politics,” Trend reports.
The dialogue was organized within the framework of the Global Women Leaders Initiative (WYDE), a joint project funded by the European Union and implemented by UN Women, in partnership with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).
In her speech, S. Mikayilova highlighted the urgent need to develop an active civil society that supports and encourages women’s participation in all spheres of public life:
“We must continue to promote social projects and initiatives that inspire women to become leaders, decision-makers, and active participants in shaping the future. However, this cannot be achieved without changing societal attitudes towards the roles of women, especially in politics. The role of parliaments in this process cannot be overstated, as they must become centers for advancing public diplomacy and creating gender- and inclusion-focused policies. It is crucial to address social challenges that women face, ensuring their voice, representation, and empowerment at every level,” the deputy emphasized.
Sevil Mikayilova also outlined measures taken in Azerbaijan to create conditions for broader, equal development. She particularly highlighted the successful contributions of Azerbaijan’s First Vice President, Mehriban Aliyeva:
“Azerbaijan has achieved significant success in expanding the role of women. First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva is the embodiment of the modern Azerbaijani woman—a strong, outstanding figure in our country’s recent history,” stated S. Mikayilova.
She added that, at the initiative of Mehriban Aliyeva, dozens of programs aimed at improving the quality of life of Azerbaijani citizens are being implemented.
Furthermore, S. Mikayilova underlined that Azerbaijan has achieved notable progress on the path to gender equality, emphasizing the broad representation of women in the Azerbaijani parliament and the fact that the Speaker of the Milli Majlis is a woman.
Addressing global challenges faced by women seeking active participation in public life, S. Mikayilova noted that women in public roles are often subjected to specific forms of violence and abuse:
“A universal law or legislative act regulating social media platforms must be developed to prevent such rights violations. With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, these issues are becoming more dangerous, urging us to act. In this regard, national parliaments can propose initiatives, demonstrate solidarity, and develop an international convention, which we, as IPU, will support,” she concluded.
The visit of Sevil Mikayilova and Milli Majlis Deputy Soltan Mammadov to New York was in connection with their participation in the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, the 15th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, and the UN Parliamentary Hearings.
The hearings, which gathered around 300 participants, including parliamentarians, consultants, and experts from over 60 countries, focused on strategies for reviving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and exchanging views on the role of parliaments in achieving sustainable development goals.
The deputies concluded their visit to New York on February 16.
