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Akbar Novruz

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At the request of Speaker of the Parliament of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova, Sevil Mikayilova, Vice President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) from Azerbaijan, addressed the Intergenerational dialogue among women and men MPs in New York on the theme "Supporting the political participation of women", Azernews reports.

Speaking at the event, Mikayilova emphasized the importance of fostering an active civil society that "supports and encourages women's active participation in all areas of public life." She stressed the need to promote social initiatives that empower women to become leaders and decision-makers, while also addressing societal attitudes that hinder women’s roles in politics.

"The role of parliaments in this process cannot be overstated, as they must become central to driving public diplomacy and fostering inclusive and gender-sensitive policies," she said, adding that governments must ensure women are "heard, represented, and empowered at every level."

Mikayilova highlighted Azerbaijan's progress in gender equality, particularly under the leadership of First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, whom she described as "the embodiment of a modern Azerbaijani woman." She emphasized that Azerbaijan has launched numerous programs aimed at improving the quality of life for its citizens, many of them initiated by the First Vice-President.

Addressing challenges that women face globally in public roles, Mikayilova pointed out that they are often subjected to violence and abuse.

"We need to work on a universal law or legislative act that will regulate social media platforms to prevent the violent breach of human rights. With the rapid rise of AI, this problem is becoming more dangerous, making it imperative for national parliaments to take initiative and draft an international convention, which we at the IPU will foster," she concluded.

Mikayilova and MP Soltan Mammadov were in New York from February 10 to 16 to participate in meetings for the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, the 15th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, and the UN Parliamentary Hearings, which brought together around 300 participants from over 60 countries to discuss the role of parliaments in revitalizing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.