Azeri ombudsman concerned over falling number of women
BAKU – Ombudsperson Elmira Suleymanova has said the number of women in Azerbaijan has decreased to 46 percent from 51 percent, according to official estimates, and the rapidly increasing number of men is grounds for concern.
Suleymanova told a conference organized by the OSCE Office in Baku that domestic violence is the root-cause of the decreasing number of women in the country.
"Instances of eliminating the female fetus in a mother’s womb have caused an increase in the number of men in recent years," Suleymanova told the conference, which aimed to support enforcing the country’s law on countering domestic violence.
The senior rights defender said further that various forms of domestic violence are strictly linked to violations of human rights, adding that gender discrimination is at the core of such abuse.
Suleymanova said there is discrimination against women in Azerbaijani families and society overall.
"Women do not have equal opportunities with men in terms of finding jobs, which results in their becoming financially dependent on men at home and sidelines them from the decision-making process," Suleymanova added.