Azernews.Az

The Women’s Creative Forum was held in Baku as part of the ongoing “OIC Cultural Festival: Baku Creative Week 2025”, organised by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Azernews reports that the forum was jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Women’s Development Organisation (WDO) of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Association for the Development of Women’s Entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan (AQSIA), and the Creative Azerbaijan platform.

The forum was attended by Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation; Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar, Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the KADEM Foundation; Afnan Al-Shuaibi, Director-General of the WDO; as well as female innovators and entrepreneurs from Kazakhstan, Bahrain and Uzbekistan.

In her opening address, WDO Director-General Afnan Al-Shuaibi expressed her gratitude to the organisers. She noted that women play an important role in the formation of a knowledge-based society: “This is an indicator of development and progress. Our main mission is to enable women to discover and realise their potential. Women make a great contribution to the development of society as both entrepreneurs and cultural innovators. We are ready to mobilise all our resources to support women’s advancement, promote their work and help them implement their creative projects.”

Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar, Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the KADEM Foundation, emphasised that women are not latecomers to creative fields but form their very essence. “The values created by women are passed down from generation to generation. The art of carpet weaving in Azerbaijan is one of the most beautiful examples of this. Similarly, İznik and Kütahya ceramics and other artistic traditions were shaped by the creative spirit, craftsmanship and aesthetic sensibility of women. Turkish motifs and their expression in art clearly demonstrate the role of women in these fields throughout history,” she added.

Sakina Babayeva, Chairwoman of the Board of the Association for the Development of Women’s Entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan, stated that the forum is an ideal platform for discussing opportunities and future prospects for women in the creative sector. “The state support provided in Azerbaijan in this area is very significant and should be appreciated. The main goal of the forum is to identify existing gaps and to further strengthen cooperation among OIC member states in this field,” she said.

Following the opening session, a conceptual visual composition inspired by Rumi’s saying “Leave the circle of time – enter the circle of love” was presented. The illustrative section of the project was based on the works of artist Leyla Aliyeva. The visual concept was created by Honoured Artist Sabina Shikhlinskaya, with music composed by Orkhan Aghayev (DJ Pancho).

It should be noted that the Women’s Creative Forum featured discussions on topics including “Expanding International Trade Opportunities for Women in the Creative Industries” and “The Role of Innovation, Technology and Investment in Women’s Empowerment”. Speakers highlighted the importance of supporting women-led creative enterprises, strengthening international cooperation and fostering innovation to accelerate cultural and economic transformation. The forum underscored a shared commitment to advancing women’s leadership in the creative economy, promoting sustainability and expanding international partnerships.