Project name : AZE2R105 - Strengthened technical capacity of national experts, decision makers, influential persons, NGOs, civil society organizations and the mass media to formulate, implement and support the reproductive health and reproductive rights legislation
Budget: USD 87,540
Timeline: 1 January 2005 – 31 December 2005
What's the situation?
In Azerbaijan the existing legislative acts related to maternal health reflect the principles and social aspects of the former Soviet system. Advocacy campaigns are needed to engage various civil society and non-governmental organizations in a process of promoting the reproductive rights of the people through close collaboration with the mass media, with the national parliament, and with government bodies. It is important to work with parliament so as to be able to formulate a drafting mechanism for new legislative acts on reproductive health and rights. In addition a review of existing legislation on these issues is also needed. This legislative base which still does not exist would acknowledge the need to augment public knowledge of these issues, the problems in offering medical services to meet such these needs and constraints on budget allocations for health. Another key requirement is to arrange for contraceptives to be added to the official list of "essential drugs" to ensure the government will import contraceptives to Azerbaijan and formulate a plan for their countrywide distribution. Information, Education and Communication (IEC) also requires special emphasis. Making the public sensitive to reproductive health and rights issues is the cornerstone for increasing the quality of services and information.
What’s our mission?
Helping Azerbaijan to create a National Law on Reproductive Health and Rights is this project's ultimate goal. UNFPA will support NGOs and civil society organizations and the National Parliament to plan and implement a National Law on Reproductive Health and Rights.
For this purpose, three areas of intervention have been identified: the mass media, the national parliament and NGOs. Training for mass media and parliamentarians will promote the necessity of reproductive health and rights legislation, review of the existing legislative acts, and elaborate how the new law should reflect all the needs of population on these issues. This training for MPs and media representatives will take the perspective of gender into account and will highlight the gender aspects of such problems as violence, sexual assault, family planning, and reproductive rights. The mission of this project will be complete when Azerbaijan's national legislation on reproductive health and rights has been endorsed by parliament and is operational.
How is UFPA doing this?
- UNFPA will cooperate with the institutions of Azerbaijan's government to develop an advocacy strategy for formulating and implementing the capacity building mechanisms needed to initiate the legislative change for improved reproductive rights and women's rights
- The Law on Reproductive Rights, which will better protect women’s rights, will be promoted through cooperation with the National Parliament and relevant ministries
- A unique mechanism of monitoring and evaluation will be established to assess the advocacy activities within Azerbaijan
- A working group will be established to conduct a review of the existing legislation on RH and women’s rights
- In order to raise the awareness of parliamentarians and decision makers on RH and gender issues, UNFPA will continue to cooperate with health and social committees in parliament to promote advocacy activities and sensitise them to the current gaps and benchmarks in this field
- National Consultants from the Cabinet of Ministers and National RH Office will facilitate training sessions on RH and gender for the members of intersectoral Committee on Health and Gender which has financial and expert support of UNFPA.
- UNFPA will work closely with the Azerbaijan Journalists Association to provide the required information on RH issues, violence against women, STI/HIV/AIDS prevention, prevention of maternal deaths, etc to media representatives.
Who are our partners?
This project will be implemented jointly with the Women Leaders Public Union of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Other partners will be the National Parliament, the Azerbaijan Journalists Confederation and a number of women's NGOs
How will Azerbaijan benefit?
The development of a national law on regulating the reproductive rights of people in Azerbaijan will meet the ultimate goal of improving RH programmes across the country. Identification of the existing problems in this field and recognizing the shortfalls and challenges will emphasise the necessary steps to overcome the current strategic disparities between existing legislative mechanisms and the social aspects of these issues.
Contact Details:
Farid Babayev, Reproductive Health Technical Expert, UNFPA
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