New bill on children's rights completed in Azerbaijan
The State Committee for Family, Women, and Children Affairs of the Azerbaijan Republic, chaired by Bahar Muradova, has completed work on a new bill on children's rights. The announcement was made at a briefing on the results of the first half of 2023, Azernews reports.
Muradova said that currently the Women Resource Centers of the State Committee are operating in 17 districts:
"Eleven Children and Family Support Centers held four 'open door days' within six months. A total of 517 citizens who applied were provided with support in solving psychological, legal, and social problems."
The bill is aimed at protecting the rights of children and ensuring their safety and well-being. It includes measures to combat domestic violence, prevent suicide attempts, and protect children from human trafficking, exploitation, and early marriage. It also seeks to provide children with access to religious knowledge.
The bill was developed in close cooperation with the NGO Alliance for Children's Rights. The committee has also established support centers for families and children in Mingachevir, Goranboy, and Shuvalan. These centers provide education on health, social communication, and life skills to young boys and girls. To date, thousands of children, young people, and parents have been served in all centers.
The State Program on Delivering Children from Children's State Institutions to Children (De-institutionalization) and Alternative Care State in Azerbaijan was approved by presidential decree in 2020. This program is aimed at providing alternative care for children in need and reducing the number of children in state institutions.
The State Committee for Family, Women, and Children Affairs of the Azerbaijan Republic is a governmental agency within the Cabinet of Azerbaijan in charge of regulating activities for the protection of the rights of women and children and overseeing activities of non-governmental organizations involved in families in the Azerbaijan Republic. The committee was established in 1998 and expanded in 2006 to include additional duties for the solution of problems of families and children.
The committee has been working to promote the independence of women in civil societies in terms of earning for living and functioning while the lead family providers are away. It has also been working to advance gender equality and strengthen women's entrepreneurial skills in rural areas, thus empowering women to overcome existing socio-economic challenges.
The State Committee for Family, Women, and Children Affairs of the Azerbaijan Republic, in cooperation with the British Embassy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has been expanding the network of Women Resource Centers to Barda, Tartar, and Aghjabadi. Established in 2011, these WRCs provide a safe space for women to share ideas on improving their livelihoods through economic empowerment. To date, free training courses have been offered to over 6,200 women in human and economic rights, and skills such as business development, accounting, financial literacy, and computer science.
The new bill on children's rights is an important step toward ensuring the safety and well-being of children in Azerbaijan. It is expected to have a positive impact on the lives of children in the country.
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