The feminist community in Azerbaijan has announced plans to hold a march “8 Marş – Yaşamaq İsrəyirik” – “8 March – We Want to Live” on March 8, in honour of International Women’s Day. The march comes at a time when violence against women in the country has reached alarming levels, with reports of 11 women being murdered in February alone.
According to the organisers of the march, women in Azerbaijan are continuously subjected to various forms of violence and the situation has only worsened in recent times due to rising prices and social insecurity. Many of these incidents of violence take place in front of minors, who themselves become targets of violence.
The feminist community is demanding that the government takes action to ensure the safety of women’s lives, investigate crimes against women in a legal and just manner, and hold perpetrators accountable. They are also calling for the adoption of the Istanbul Convention, the implementation of policies to improve social welfare, and programs to financially support women from vulnerable groups.
The march will start at 3:00 pm on March 8, from Nizami Street, in front of Mc.Donalds, and will end in front of the “Xurshidbanu Natavan” statue (at the intersection of Aziz Aliyev and M.E. Rasulzadeh streets). The organisers have stated that the march will be considered over once their demands are read out.
The feminist community in Azerbaijan hopes that the march will raise awareness about the urgent need to address violence against women in the country and put pressure on the government to take concrete steps to ensure the safety and well-being of women.