Azernews.Az

BAKU – The spouse of the US ambassador to Azerbaijan, Zeyno Bryza, was hosted by the Association of Women Journalists on Friday. Bryza spoke of her background and career during the meeting.

Bryza said her parents were journalists; she received education in the United States and believes that "first of all, a woman has to believe in herself".

"When I decided to study abroad, I certainly felt that people around me were unhappy," Bryza said. "A lot of people told me that I would not succeed and that life in the United States was hard. But I made it. I graduated from Stanford University with a major in international relations. I started my career, and everything went well. [That’s because] above all, I believed in myself."

Bryza said she has enjoyed the beauty of Baku and Nakhchivan, feels at home in Azerbaijan and will continue to work.

"After getting married I took a break from hard work. But I did stay busy though. Three books have been published. And I am going to stay busy in Azerbaijan now. Certainly, I won’t be involved in politics here. But I plan to start projects on fighting violence against women and early marriages."

Bryza noted that while in the U.S., she took self-defense courses. "I believe a woman should be able to defend herself. This is very important. She has to make sure that her rights are protected."