With the collapse of the former Soviet Union, Azerbaijan experienced economic disintegration and political turmoil. Economic growth has since picked up pace, driven by the country’s rich reserves in oil and gas. Still, almost half the inhabitants live below the national poverty line and 13 per cent are extremely poor. Agriculture, including livestock production, employs just under half the population, with small-scale farmers producing about 96 per cent of agricultural output. Conflict with neighbouring Armenia led to the displacement of almost one million people, with 15 per cent of the current population living as refugees and internally displaced persons.
Women tend to dominate some sectors of the economy. They make up 70 per cent of educators and 57 per cent of those working in social services - both areas with lower wages than other vocations, and as a result, lower status. Agriculture employs over 30 per cent of women. Many men also work in agriculture but they have better access than women to business support services, training and education, which contribute to better work opportunities and higher pay. On average, a woman in Azerbaijan earns only 57 per cent of a man’s salary. The disparity in wages is partly due to the fact that men tend to occupy management positions, which pay more. Women may also be unable to work because they cannot find safe and affordable day care. Not only do women have fewer job possibilities and lower salaries, they also have fewer benefits, shorter contracts and inferior working conditions. When it comes to starting small and medium-sized enterprises, women face major obstacles. They lack business experience and have more limited access to credit than men. Azeri culture also has a negative image of career women, perhaps explaining why only 17 per cent of women own businesses. Following independence, many men were unable to cope with the changing market conditions and chose to migrate abroad in search of work. This depleted the number of men in many villages and left women with a double burden of childcare and supporting their family, often by taking on heavy agricultural work. The resulting gender imbalance has contributed to the increasingly common, but illegal phenomenon of men starting second families, especially in rural areas. A growing number of men return home in poor health, mainly due to bad working conditions, increasing the double burden of women. The most disadvantaged groups within Azeri society are rural women, second wives and displaced women. A lack of economic opportunity contributes to the risk of women being trafficked - a relatively new problem in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan acts mostly as a country of transit for trafficked persons, a result of its geographic location and porous borders. In addition, police officers have limited experience in dealing with trafficking and there are no laws specifically targeting those who engage in trafficking - two factors increasing the country’s vulnerability to the practice. In 2004 the country adopted the National Plan on Combating Trafficking. The plan is designed to protect and defend victims, including by implementing measures so victims can be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society. Although equal rights for men and women are guaranteed under Azeri laws, gender inequality persists. In 1998 the Government established a state committee on women's issues to protect women’s rights and to enact measures to empower them. Source: IFAD |
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Poverty affects men and women almost equally in Azerbaijan, though women are at a higher risk of being unemployed. Women across the region marry young, on average before reaching the age of 24, and cultural perceptions that women should not work discourages many of them from seeking employment outside the home, especially in rural areas.