(MENAFN- AzerNews) 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.
---