(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 17.​ Achieving progress in gender requires that the principle of equal rights for women and men becomes a fundamental value in society. It must also be recognized that without women's equal participation in all areas of public life and decision-making processes, it is impossible to build a strong, prosperous, and sustainable society, said Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova, Trend reports.

In her speech at the 2nd Women Political Leaders Forum (WPLF) of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (WAIPA) in Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur, Gafarova shared her experiences with the forum participants as a parliamentarian who has conducted research on gender issues and held several positions in international parliamentary organizations addressing gender equality and combating violence against women.

She emphasized that parliaments reflect the needs and dynamics of society while also possessing powerful tools to guide change both internally and across society. The most important of these tools is legislative activity, which establishes necessary behavioral frameworks. Gafarova noted that increasing women's participation in parliaments ensures greater sensitivity to gender issues in representation and governance, allowing women's perspectives to be reflected in legislation and making them key stakeholders in the legislative process.

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