The "ILO Week" in Baku

A final conference under the ILO project “Women Entrepreneurship Development through Employers’ Organizations in Azerbaijan and Georgia” brought together more than 60 delegates, including a delegation from Georgia headed by Mr. Elguja Meladze, President of the Georgian Employers’ Association. The participants noted that during the recent years a more favorable environment for women entrepreneurship development has been formed in Azerbaijan and Georgia. At the same time, as indicated in the final document, much still needs to be done. The development of women entrepreneurship requires the implementation of the appropriate measures in different areas and by all parties concerned: Governments, employers’ organizations, trade unions, non-governmental and international organizations, UN Agencies, business support institutions.

Signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the State Committee on Women Issues and the National Employers’ Confederation of Azerbaijan was a memorable moment during the conference.

The discussion of gender issues – this time in the legislative sphere – was continued at the workshop devoted to the Azerbaijan’s ratification to the ILO Convention No.156 on Workers with Family Responsibilities and Convention No. 183 on Maternity Protection. It is significant that Azerbaijan initiated the ratification of these two basic gender conventions in 2004, when the UN marks the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family. 2)

Gender equality and combining family and work responsibilities is a topical issue for Azerbaijan where more that 65 percent of the employed are married people, and with one-parent families this number is even bigger – more that 80 percent. Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Ali Nagiyev, Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population underlined the importance of the ratification and - what is even more important - the implementation of the ILO Conventions. The participants noted that the national legislation to a large extend complies with the ILO standards, and some provisions are even more advanced than the ILO requirements. At the same time after the ratification some provisions will have to be reviewed.

Very important is the fact that among the workshop participants there were representatives of all sectors of the society – government, employers, trade unions, parliamentarians, civil society, research institutions, mass media.

ILO programmes “Start and Improve Your Business” (SIYB) and “Know Your Business” (KYB) offer concrete and practical ways and methods of employment creations, also among women. Both programmes were presented in Baku. Its is expected that SIYB and KYB training courses that the ILO plans to organize in Azerbaijan in collaboration with the social partners 3), will facilitate small and medium-size business development and will contribute to the implementation of the National Employment Strategy.

Two members of the ILO mission, Mr. Jinchag Liu and Ms. Martina Lubyova, visited Ismaily region of Azerbaijan in order to assess the situation of refugees and internally displaced persons who are accommodated there and whose main problem is unemployment. The International Labour Organization is planning to assist Azerbaijan in the implementation of the National Employment Strategy and Action Plan by sharing its employment-intensive policies.

After the “ILO week” the activities in Azerbaijan will be continued. The first event to be organized in December together with the national partners is the roundtable for journalists “Gender Equality in the World of Work: the Role of Mass Media”.

1) Members of the ILO mission:
ILO Office in Moscow: Ms. Martina Lubyova, Senior Employment Specialist, Mr Erwin Blasum, Senior Specialist on Employers’ Activities, Ms. Irina Melekh, Coordinator of Project ‘Increasing Employability of Disadvantaged Young Women and Men and Other Marginalized Groups in the Caucasus and Central Asia Through Skills Development and Entrepreneur Education’, Ms. Marina Khartchenko, Project Assistant, Ms. Olga Bogdanova, Communications Officer, Mr. Sergey Muzyka, Regional Coordinator of SYIB/KAB Programme.
ILO Headquarters (Geneva): Mr. Jinchang Liu, Senior Employment Specialist

2) Out of four basic gender equality conventions - Nos. 100, 111, 156 and 183 – Azerbaijan has already ratified Convention No. 100 on Equal Remuneration and Convention No. 111 on Discrimination (Employment and Occupation).

3) Training will be organized within the framework of the new ILO Project “Increasing Employability of Disadvantaged Young Women and Men and Other Marginalized Groups in the Caucasus and Central Asia Through Skills Development and Entrepreneur Education”.