National status report on gender education
OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE-AZERBAIJAN
NETWORK WOMEN'S PROGRAM
NATIONAL STATUS REPORT ON HIGHER SCHOOL REFORMS AND GENDER EDUCATION IN THE COUNTRY
Report prepared by Yuliya Gureyeva
Baku-2005
Educational Reforms
The system of higher education in the Azerbaijan Republic consists
of the following types of state and private institutions: universities,
academies, institutes, colleges and conservatoires. One of the most
important reforms is the transition to a multi-level system of higher
professional education in compliance with the Law on Education approved
in October, 1992. In its provisions the Law sets guarantees of the
equal access to the primary, undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate
educational levels for both genders.
This new Law defined and legislated the general principles and
structure of the entire education system in Azerbaijan and in addition
permitted the establishment of private educational institutions. The
Law approved the following credentials (from law to upper levels):
Bakalavr, Magistr, Doctorate (PhD), The Doktor Nauk (should have been
phased out, but still undergoes considerations on the necessity of this
educational level).
Institutions have the right to choose their approach to the
multi-level education of specialists, determine the contents of this
education, and draw up academic plans for these disciplines. The only
restrictions are those imposed by the requirements of state educational
standards to maintain a minimum of knowledge. They have acquired
independence in financial in management matters and can therefore
obtain their own financial resources.
Another important achievement of the Law was establishment of the
National Entrance examination for the prospectus students. The
examination is held in several installations according to the group of
specialities. In total higher education specialities included to
admission plan are classified in five groups: technical specialities,
economic, humanitarian, medical and pedagogical.
According to the brochure "Gender Aspects of Admission Examination
Results to Higher Education Schools" published by the State Admissions
Commission, in the year 2004 among total number of 90680 applications
to the higher educational institutions, boys comprised 48.52 percent
and girls 51.48 percent. The statistical analyses of the State
Admissions Commission testify that since establishment of the National
Entrance examination the number of girls applicants exceeded the
correspondent number of boys. However, when it comes to the admission
to the high schools, the statics on the percentage of boys and girls
admitted to the higher educational institutions shows the reversed
numbers. For example, in 2004 the total number of applicants admitted
to the higher educational institutions of the country made up 12500
boys (28.79%) and 11783 girls (25.55%). This gap does not testify that
boys get better training than girls for the admission examination, what
in some cases might be true. But may find its explanation in the number
of boys and girls students admitted to the private schools, where the
pass level requires lesser points than admission to the state
universities. The figures show that the total number of boys admitted
to the private universities exceeds the number of girls on about 25%.
This gender disparity proves that parents are more eager to pay for the
higher education of their male children, who will be the future
breadwinners of their families.
The statistic results also confirmed that in choice of the
profession applicants are driven by the social stereotypes about "male"
and "female" professions. For example, girls comprise 96.06 percent of
applicants to group, where offered specialities are psychology and
pedagogy. Boys give preference to the technical specialities
(mathematics, physics, engineering, etc.) - 74.81 percent and to the
economic group of specialities (economy, management and geography) -
74.76 percent. The number of female applicants to the humanitarian and
medical specialities is slightly higher than that of males and makes up
62.99 and 59.97 percent respectively.
Currently the new project of the Law on Education undergoes
considerations in the Parliament of Azerbaijan. The aim of the new Law
is to increase status of the secondary schools and to introduce the
single final examination. While undergoing discussions in the higher
institutions of Azerbaijan the Law received the number of amendments
and now is revised in the Commission of Public Education in the
Parliament of Azerbaijan. However, one of the recommendations of the
academic circles was already taken into account and in April 2005 the
President of Azerbaijan signed the decree on the single entrance
examination to the graduate level of study.
Gender education became recently a concern of the Ministry of
Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Besides revising and approving
curricula on different gender courses, now the Ministry has a focal
point on gender issues. Within the ministerial structure was created a
new position of Representative on Gender Issues, whose main mission is
achievement of gender balance in the educational system.
Political situation in Azerbaijan
One of the crucial points of the political discourse in post-Soviet
Azerbaijan is the "neutral gender subject" equally referred to both
sexes. This status is reinforced by the number of legal acts including
the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan adopted in 1995. The
possibilities for action within the newly emerged civil society are
seen to be equally open for men and women. However, the practice shows
that we cannot consider civil society and political arena to be a
gender-neutral space for women.
The whole political theories and practices in Azerbaijan are based
on the strength and importance of the family and kinship ties. Within
this framework women are supposed to play a very important and
respectful role as mothers and providers of the new state ideology and
national values. But along with this favorable esteem, the societal
discourse puts restrictions on the involvement of women in the public
sphere and limits their roles to motherhood and house-holding.
However, the current authority of Azerbaijan considers the problem
of gender equality as an issue affecting the further integration of
Azerbaijan into the international and European communities. Within the
last years the state authorities had recognized that achievement of the
real equality is possible via integration of gender issues into the
State programs and establishment of appropriate mechanisms. Thus, the
attempt of replacing the "protection" concepts with regard to women
with gender approach was done in the Presidential Decree "On
Implementation of the State Women's Policy in Azerbaijan" issued in
2000. However even this document could not stand praising women as
"source of life and embodiment of wisdom".
In 2004 with the purpose of creation of the real state mechanisms
for securing gender equality the State Committee of Women's Issues,
established in 1998, worked out the Draft of the Law "On State
Guarantees of Equal Rights for Women and Men". This Law stipulates the
state guarantees for securing equal rights and opportunities for men
and women and was drafted with methodological assistance of the experts
of the Council of Europe. The Law passed the discussions in the
commission of the Azerbaijan Parliament Milli Majlis. However, as it
was stated by the deputy of Milli Majlis and one of the advocates of
the Law Ms. Malahat Hasanova during the conference "Gender Equality and
Azerbaijan", there are strong forces in Milli Majlis, which create
impediments for the Law discussion on the plenary session. According to
Ms. Hasanova their main argument is that we already have provisions on
gender equality in the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and
there is no necessity to adopt additional document. This discussion
reveals the low level of sensitivity towards gender issues among the
deputies of the national parliament, including women.
Even the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and number of
the legal documents stipulates the equality of both sexes, the analyses
of gender situation in the country testifies the existence of gender
disbalance at all levels of the society and especially in participation
in decision making bodies. Currently there are no women serving as
Ministers in the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
total number of women elected to the Parliament is 13%. On the
background of the state policies on advancement and promotion of women
in the state institutions, we had witnessed recent dismissal of 2 women
from the positions of the Heads of the Executive Committees in the
regions of Azerbaijan and two women-chiefs of the judicial bodies: High
Court and Court of Appeals. In the mean time no women were appointed to
these or the similar rank positions.
Notwithstanding this hypocritical environment in political sphere,
ruling political forces in Azerbaijan generally supported initiatives
of Gender education. Thus, the first program "Gender: The New Stage of
Women's Problem" was aimed at rising gender awareness among broad
public in the capital and the region. This program was initiated by the
UNDP together with the Cabinet of Ministers and conducted by the Social
Union "Gender and Human Rights" in 1998. First educational project
"Women in the Social Conflict" was started at the Academy of Public
Administration under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan with
the financial support of the World Bank. In 2000 the third-year
Bachelor's student were lectured the course "Gender Politics". The same
year Network Women's Program - OSI announced a grant competition and
collected proposals for the creation of Gender Studies Center, which
would be university/inter-university center, concentrating local
scholars efforts to research and curriculum development in Women/Gender
Studies. This Center was established the same year under the Western
University in June 2000.
Within the operating period of 5 years the Center successfully
conducted number of projects and what is more important managed to
create the core of the academic researchers in Gender Studies in
Azerbaijan. Starting from the point zero, the Center gathered together
large academic circles, the majority of whom comprise women, but tended
always to include men into the project's activities. The target of the
Center was not only quantitative increase of the teaching staff of
Gender Studies in the Azerbaijani higher institutions, but also
enhancing quality of the educational curriculum and course materials.
The Center partially managed to reach this goal and as illustration for
it serves the materials of the scientific conference "Development of
Gender Education in the Context of Contemporary Social-political
Transformations" held in Baku in 2004, which positively differs from
the early conferences conducted by the Center. In total 150 people
participated in the conference activities including foreign guests,
state officials, representatives of international and national NGOs and
local academic community. The essays and reports were published as
conference materials, which present interesting accounts on development
of gender studies in Azerbaijan and further integration of gender
approach in different areas.
On the other hand, one cannot deny the existence of the conservative
forces within the academic elite, who hinders the inclusion of gender
studies into the educational curriculum. The main sounded objections of
this group is perception of Gender Studies as a vogue, a fashionable
trend in the Azeri academy, mainly connected with the availability of
funding for the research activities in this area. As soon as the
findings will be ceased the interest to the subject as well as the
activities within it would be commenced. The followers of this approach
neglect the fact, that Gender Studies in Azerbaijan had been started by
the group of enthusiasts, who within these years built up the core of
gender researchers. Nowadays, Gender Studies in Azerbaijan firmly
entered into the curriculum of the higher institutions and try co-exist
along side with other humanitarian disciplines.
Hence, the more dangerous objection is a denial to consider Gender
Studies as the full-scale humanitarian discipline. The critiques of
Gender Studies argue that it is not possible to build up the
discipline, which has in its categories apparatus the only the concepts
of "sex", "gender" and derived from them "feminity" and "masculinity".
This shows the lack of knowledge and narrow understanding of the
subject of Gender Studies, which besides analyses of male-female
relationships focuses on the power hierarchies of the societies,
operating at the same time with such concepts as class, race, ethnicity
and citizenship.
In my opinion, in order to overcome this skepticism, academic
community interested in development of Gender Studies should work more
towards the development of the researches incorporating gender
methodology and departmentalization of Gender Studies within the
structures of the universities.
Institutions and Organizations Involved in Realization of Gender Programs
Different sources present different statistics on number of NGOs
involved in realization of Gender programs in Azerbaijan. Their number
is ranging from 50 to more than 100 organizations registered or just
submitted registration documents to the Ministry of Justice. Some of
the sources while talking about gender programs presents the statistics
only on Women's NGOs, which however distorts the real situation as not
all women's NGOs in Azerbaijan are involved in Gender Programs and
gender problematic often becomes the focus of other types of NGOs such
as educational, human rights, etc.
Azerbaijan Gender Information Center created the database of the
projects connected to some extend with gender problematic, which were
conducted by the local NGOs starting from the year 1997. In total
database contains information about 262 projects tackling gender issues
in Azerbaijan conducted by 68 NGOs. However, not many of NGOs are
involved in educational work and quite few are research oriented. The
majority of them are specialized in specific training delivery dealing
with particular problem or range of the corresponding problems to the
focus groups, such as women-IDPs, women entrepreneurs and etc. For
example, 28% of projects are aimed at the protection of the
reproductive health, 19 % - target the problems of domestic violence
and trafficking, 17% deal with Women's Human Rights, etc.
The main organization which had implemented educational or research
activities in Gender Studies are the following: Gender Studies Center
under the Western University, Social Research Center AREAT, Gender and
Human Rights Research Union, Empowering Education, NGOs Forum on
Migration Issues, Institute for Peace and Democracy, Clean World,
Jewish Women's Society, "Sensiz" Widows Society,
Association of Women's Journalists, Youth Women's Center "Shams",
Creative Women's Association, Azerbaijan Gender Association "Symmetry",
Sociologists Association of Azerbaijan, etc.
Taking into account the main emphasis of the current report on the
status of Gender Education in Azerbaijan, I will concentrate more in
details on the activities of two NGOs involved in educational and
research activities in the higher institutions: Gender Studies Center
under the Western University and Gender and Human Rights research Union.
Gender Studies Center under the Western University
Gender Studies Center (GSC) operating within the Western University has been founded in June 2000.
According to the Statute the main missions of the GSC are:
Dissemination and development of gender approach to the analyses of social life that is new for the Azeri society;
Integration of this method into scientific researches and syllabi.
Gender Studies Center provides conditions for scholars and teachers
that study gender aspect for various social and humanitarian
(philosophy, economic theory, law, history, psychology, political
science, sociology, culture study) subjects.
Activities of Gender Studies Center includes the following trends:
conduct of researches regarding gender and women's problems;
integration of the gender theory into social and humanitarian sciences;
development of scientific and social relations (organization and participation in conferences, workshops and symposia);
educational, scientific and awareness activity;
publications of GSC.
GSC aims to analyze and discuss the following problems:
individum individual and his/her attitude toward the society;
freedom and its limitations;
differences among people and the necessity to ensure equal rights;
family, marriage and religion;
traditional and democratic values.
During the period of its operation Center implemented several projects.
The first project "Interdisciplinary programs of gender education in
the system of higher education of Azerbaijan" was implemented with the
support of Central European University (Budapest) within the framework
of program "Gender and Culture" and OSI-AF NWP from June, 2000 to June,
2001. Within the framework of the Project, syllabi on the following
social and humanitarian disciplines have been developed: philosophy,
political science, sociology, cultural studies, psychology, economics,
and employment of population. Syllabi included thematic plan, themes
worked out for study, and list of recommended sources. Syllabi were
approved by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
published in 300 copies and distributed among all the higher
educational institutions of Azerbaijan.
In 2002 on the basis of syllabi approved by the Ministry of
Education the researchers of Gender Studies Center prepared and
published 9 course manuals as well as their collection in the book
entitled "Gender: History, Society, Culture". This was the
second project of the Gender Studies Center, which was made possible
with financial assistance of Open Society Institute - Assistance
Foundation.
These projects were continued in 2004 when researches of the Gender
Studies Center prepared and published curriculums and manuals for 6
more social and humanitarian disciplines including philology, conflict
study, journalism, art criticism, anthropology and ecology.
In 2003 Gender Studies Center organized trainings for faculty members of the Azerbaijan higher schools within the project "Methodology of Application of Basics of Gender in Social and Humanitarian Disciplines".
This project was financially supported by the Open Society Institute -
Assistance Foundation. The trainings were organized within 5 modules:
Political Science and History; Philosophy and Cultural Studies;
Psychology and Sociology; Economics and Employment; Law.
Trainings in each module were held in two (in Azerbaijani and
Russian languages) groups, during 5 days 4 academic hours each day. For
realization of the project 18 trainers and 32 exerts were involved. 9
of them were the authors of syllabi and courses of lectures,
participants of many conferences and workshops. Total number of
trainees amounted to 221 people, including 127 faculty, 10
administrators of educational institutions and departments, 13 senior
research fellows, 17 junior research fellows, 15 senior laboratory
assistants and assistant teachers, and 23 graduate students.
The Gender Studies Center also acted as an organizer of the number
of scientific and practical conferences, which gathered together
researchers in gender studies and women activists from Azerbaijan and
neighbor countries. Below is the list of conferences held by center:
"Integration of the gender theory into social and humanitarian discipline"- December, 23 2000
"Theoretical Methodological Aspects of Problems of Gender Education in the System of Higher Education" - March 9, 2002
"Development of Gender Education in the Context of Contemporary Social-political Transformations" - March 27, 2003.
Taking into consideration current situation Gender Studies Center
developed the strategy of advancement of gender education to the
closest perspective under the title: "The Main Problems of Development of Gender Education in Azerbaijan and their Solution at the National Level". Strategy consists of 4 sections:
-
Participation in drafting of gender equality policy as an
articulated aim of the reformation and modernization of education in
Azerbaijan.
-
Creation of the new opportunities for the further development of gender education and gender researches.
-
Increase of gender awareness, quality of training and gender qualification.
-
Organizational questions.
In December 2003 this strategy was considered with participation of
the executives of the Ministry of Education, the Academic council of
the Western University.
Gender and Human Rights Research Union
"Gender and Human Rights" Research Union is a non-governmental
organization uniting philosophers, lawyers, political scientists,
sociologists, historians, economists, philologists. The aim of the
Union is to analyze the reciprocity of gender relations and human
rights problem within the conditions of democratic development and
ideological pluralism in the Republic of Azerbaijan. From this
perspective the Union implements the following tasks: research on human
rights from the point of view of gender balance; investigation of
social, philosophical and legal conceptions, theories and tendencies in
connection with human rights and gender aspects; explanation of the
influence of public-political-legal institutions on the development of
human rights and gender; analysis of the situation in the electoral
system on the background of human rights and gender. The activities of
the Union includes organization of the scientific practical seminars,
round-tables, training, and conferences devoted to gender relations and
human rights; creation of the information network on human rights and
gender relations for the development of democratic processes;
organization of the sociological polls; scientific analysis aimed at
studying the sphere of gender and human rights; etc. The Union conducts
researches on Human Rights and Gender issues using them in its
educational activities. One of its key goals Union considers scientific
and educational work directed to building up the healthy family on the
basis of Human Rights and gender equality.
The Union started its activities in 1998 with the organization of
the republican conference "Gender: a new stage of women's problem"
jointly with UNDP Gender in Development Project. Within the framework
of the same project the Union organized public opinion poll among 450
people in the regions of Azerbaijan, which had been published then in a
book format. On March 18, 2000, the Union was registered in the
Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Union shows its
adherence to the principles of gender balance even at its scientific
board, where Ms. Rena Mirzazade (Ph.D.) is acting as a chairwoman and
Prof. Ali Abasov as a chairman of the Union.
Since registration the Union implemented a number of projects
connected with gender research and raising awareness on gender issues
in broad public. For example in 2000 the Union issues 4 editions of the
"Gendershunaslig" ("Gender Studies") journal in Russian and in Azeri
languages.
In 2002 the project get its continuation and number of seminars were
conducted in the regions of Azerbaijan with the financial support of
the Embassy of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In 2003 the Union
conducted seminars "Women Appeal for Peace in the Southern Caucasus" in
Nakhichevan AR, Zagatali, Balaken, Kakh, Sabirabad, Hajikabul,
Ali-Bayramli regions of Azerbaijan under the aegis of UNIFEM.
In 2004 the Union within the framework of the project "Gender in
Education and Application", sponsored by the Women's Network Program,
OSI - Azerbaijan, held three cycles of educational courses for
students, teachers and representatives of Women's NGOs, finalized by
the joint conference: "Gender and Education". Conference materials,
findings and recommendations to the Ministry of Education and other
relevant governmental structures are currently in print. Conference
participants approved the initiative of the Union to set up the
Republican Public Council on coordination of educational and research
activities on gender and women's problematic. The Union took up upon
itself the responsibility to establish in Baku and regions "Gender
Schools" in order to popularize gender studies among broader public.
The Union is also actively engaged in publishing activities. The
Union had published number of books, monographs and collections in
Azeri language, which will be discussed later in this report.
Gender Education and Research Projects
As it was already mentioned above Gender Studies as research area
are relatively new for Azerbaijan. Even there is large number of
accounts on women's issues and problems in Azerbaijan developed after
the collapse of the Soviet Union, only few of them might be described
as gender researches. The majority of studies were conducted by
non-professionals who were not familiar or had difficulties in use of
the correspondent gender methodology.
Very interesting analysis on Azeri women in post-soviet environment
were done by the ethnical Azeri women of Iranian origin, residing
currently in the US: Farideh Heyat (Azeri Professional Women's Life Strategies in the Soviet Context (2000) and Azeri Women in Transition. Women in Soviet and post-Soviet Azerbaijan (2002); Nayereh Tohidi (The Intersection of Gender, Ethnicity and Islam in Soviet and Post-Soviet Azerbaijan (1997) and Gender and National Identity in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan: a Regional Perspective (2000); and Manujeh Sabi (The Impact of Economic and Political Transformation on Women: the Case of Azerbaijan
(1999). However, even the status of outsiders possibly gives some
advantages while examination of women's lives, the researchers
sometimes confronted difficulties in grasping the meaning of social
behavior of Azeri women. For example, Farideh Heyat was surprised with
the high interest towards all kinds of fortune-telling among the highly
educated women, or great submission of educated women to the wishes of
their husbands in their personal and professional life issues, such as
of visiting trainings or conferences abroad or even within the republic.
Currently there is strong necessity in development of Azeri
professionals who will be able to reveal the impact of social,
political and economic transformation on women's lives and professional
strategies, as well as issues of gender equality within the country.
Only in this case we will have more comprehensive practical tools to
develop the gender equality strategies at all levels: in governmental
programs, curriculum of educational institutions, and even in the
funding directions of the donors.
One of the first steps towards this goal was Gender Studies
Mini-School conducted in May 2000. The 4-days Mini-school was organized
in Baku by the NWP OSI in collaboration with CEU Gender & Culture
Department for the representatives of the NGOs of Azerbaijan and
university faculty. Unfortunately, this school was not transformed into
the traditional one and yet there were no Seasonable Schools on Gender
Education held in Azerbaijan.
However, Azeri faculty members actively take opportunities to
enhance their knowledge and skills and actively participate in the
International Schools and Research Conferences held on the territory of
the former Soviet Union and in foreign countries. For example, they had
made contributions to the activities of such well-known international
schools and conferences as SUN project on Gender Education of the
Central European University, Budapest, Italy, European Conference
"Gender Equality in Higher Education", Summer Schools in Foros and
Kharkiv, Ukraine, internship at the Moscow Center for Gender Studies, Russia, etc.
In fall 1999, the Visiting Scholars from Azerbaijan participated in
Women's Studies classes Purdue University, meeting with women's
organizations, and attending a series of seminars conducted by women
from the University and Gender Lafayette communities.
One of the significant research projects done in Azerbaijan was
Women's Memories Project, aimed at creation the country's non-official
history through women's stories. In January 2001, the Training on
Women's Oral History was held for women's NGOs with the financial
support of Network Women's Program - OSI. Two beneficiaries of this
project: Olga Rzayeva and Lala Sariyeva published their researches:
"Tragic Events of January 20, 1990, through Azerbaijan Women's Eyes"
and "Women's Memories as Reflection of Social, Political and Cultural
Life in 20th century Azerbaijan".
As an example of the activities connected with research presentation
can be listed the Forth Conference of Young Researches on Gender Issues
"Gender Attitudes in the Modern Society: Global and Local" in
Saint-Petersburg, Russia, in October, 2004. The conference, organized
by the Neva Institute of Language and Culture, Russia Pedagogical
University and Saint-Petersburg Academy of Public Administration, gave
opportunity to the young researchers from different educational fields,
starting from the mid-Bachelors to PhD levels, to sound their own
vision of gender problematic. Two representatives from Azerbaijan
presented the research projects on "Impact of Globalization on Women's
Problems in Azerbaijan" and "Veiled Women in Azerbaijan". Both of the
reports got positive response from the academic circles and conference
participants and one of them was considered as the best within the
section and will be published in the collection of the conference
essays.
The First International Competition of Gender Researches should be
mentioned as another example of the effective international gender
educational project. This competition was conducted in July-September
2004 within the framework of the program "Development of Gender
Education in Post-Soviet Countries". The competition is a component of
three-years innovation program for the whole region. According to
organizers - Women's Network Program of the "Open Society Institute" -
every gender educational program should take into account specificity
of cultural interests and everyday reality of the focus auditorium and
all the attitudes towards gender equality should be grounded on the
researches on women's lives in the particular country.
The main goal of the research project's competition was to encourage
researchers aimed at the examination of the actual gender problems of
every particular country, the results of which further might be used in
the educational programs and lecture courses on gender disciplines.
In total for participation in the competition were submitted 86
proposal from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzistan, Moldova,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan. Only 27 out of them had been
selected for the semi-final. After the thorough examination the best 12
projects were recognized as the project-winners with 4 projects among
them elaborated by the Azerbaijani researchers.
Below is the list of the projects:
Ibragimbekova R.: "Gender Analysis of the Political Sphere in
Azerbaijan and Development of the Educational Programs on the Basis of
the Collected Data";
Gender Researches Center " Gender equality aspects in the education"
Abasov A. and Kasumova Y.: "Cross-Cultural Research of Gender
Stereotypes in the Modern Azeri Society as Factor for Construction of
Life Strategies of the People in the Transitional Period";
Mamedova M. and Mahmudov M.: "Impact of the New Economic Activities on the Gender Relations in the Post-Soviet Azerbaijan".
Besides receiving research grant, these researches participated in
the special Winter International School, which was held in Istanbul,
Turkey, from January 30 to February 8. This Winter School created for
them an opportunity to discuss and comment on each other's projects and
to get valuable guidance and recommendations from supervisors.
Gender Education
Out of total 42 higher institutions in Azerbaijan, Gender Studies
was introduced into curriculum of 5 universities: Baku State
University, Academy of Public Administration under the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan, Baku Slavic University, Western University and
Khazar University. The first three higher institutions have the status
of state institutes, whereas the two latter are private universities.
As it was already mentioned the first course in Azerbaijan on Gender
Studies "Gender Politics" had been lectured in the Academy of Public
Administration for the third-year Bachelor's students of the
departments of political science and international relations in Azeri
and Russian languages. The thematic plan of the course had undergone
little changing since the year of its establishment and is presented in
the Appendix 1.
Within the framework of the project "Women for Conflict
Prevention and Peace in the Southern Caucasus" UNIFEM worked out the
course: "Introduction to Conflict Studies. Increasing Women's Role in
Conflict Resolutions". Out of total 36 of course lectures 4 hours are
solely dedicated to the women's activities in conflict prevention and
resolution. This course was approved by the Ministry of Education in
2003 and is being lectures in 7 higher institutions: Academy of Public
Administration, Western University, Baku State University, Khazar
University, Slavic University, State Pedagogical University named after
N. Tusi and Odlar Urdu University.
Baku State University is offering gender courses within four main directions:
-
Gender Sociology
-
Gender Philosophy
-
Gender Psychology
-
Social and Political Aspects of Gender
Baku Slavic University offers special courses on Women' Issues:
-
Rights on Education
-
Education and Health
-
Women's Rights in Azerbaijan
-
Women's Human Rights and Human Rights
-
Women and Violence
-
Women and their Peace Building Activities
In Khazar University students are offered the courses on:
-
Gender studies
-
Women's rights are human rights
-
Women in transition period: reality and participation in peace-building activity
-
Women's role in peaceful resolution of conflicts
-
Women's social protection
-
Gender asymmetry
The largest number of Gender Studies courses were introduces at the Western University:
-
Gender aspects in history of Azerbaijan
-
Gender aspects in political sciences
-
Gender aspects in philosophy
-
Gender sociology
-
Gender and culture
-
Psychological aspects of gender problematic
-
Gender aspect in the economical theory
-
Legal aspects of gender researches
-
Gender aspects of employment the population in Azerbaijan Republic
-
Gender in Politics and International Relations: Theoretical and Practical Perspectives
The curriculum for the first nine courses has been developed at the
Gender Studies Center under the Western University. These syllabi have
been approved by Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan in
2001, published and circulated between the higher educational
institutions. The curriculum for the last course on Gender attitudes
in Political Science and International Relations had been developed
independently in 2004. Even most of these courses have been registered
as selective, Azerbaijani higher institutions do not have articulated
system, which will give students opportunity to choose which courses
are most interested to attend. So, even if gender course in its
curriculum is specified as elective, students, in fact, have to attend
it along with mandatory ones.
On the bases of the developed course syllabi the researchers of
Gender Research Center had done a great job in preparation of the
lecture courses. This work had been done in two installments within two
projects implemented in 2002 and 2004. The collection of the lecture
courses of the first nine modules listed in the Appendix 2 was
published in the book entitled: "Gender: History, Society and Culture".
Currently the Center publishes the collection of the six more modules
developed last years as a continuation of the previous project and the
textbooks.
Giving the high value and appreciation to the efforts and endeavors
of the authors of the developed lecture courses of gender issues for
the first time in Azerbaijan, many of them has serious shortcomings.
Though the course lectures were developed within the project
"Interdisciplinary Programs for Gender Education in the Higher
Educational System in Azerbaijan", it seems that most of the faculty is
not familiar with the principles of interdisciplinarity and choose
instead multidisciplinary approach. It is obvious that authors of the
lecture courses are coming from the different traditional discipline
background and try to incorporate gender studies into the given
discipline(s) borders. This leads to the application of the already
worked out disciplinary methodology in studies of gender issues and
constrains development of gender specific account on the given issue.
However, as it was mentioned many times by gender scholars
"Interdisciplinarity involves not simply the use of more than one
discipline to solve a problem or analyze an issue but also integration
of disciplines to create a new epistemology; to rebuild the prevailing
structure of knowledge; and to create new organizing concepts,
methodologies, or skills1".
The other issue originating partially from the lack of
interdisciplinarity is an attempt to substitute in some of the lecture
courses gender approach with the widely criticized principle
conventionally formulated as "Add women and stir". That means that
lecture courses have been developed within the borders of the
traditional disciplines and tend to overcome the only failure of all
other disciplinary readers - lack of women. This can be traced in the
lecture course on Gender and History, where the author have done the
great work in restoring accounts on women's lives in the history of
Azerbaijan. However, still it does not remain clear for the reader why
all this women's lives have been invisible for such a long period of
teaching History as a discipline.
In some of the lecture courses the legitimacy of feminist scholars
is still questioned. In response to them authors try to create a
detached field of study "Genderology". For example, in the reader on
Gender and Philosophy, the author discusses the problems of the reality
and matter, object and subject within the philosophical school of
reason based on the traditional dichotomies of 'masculine' and
'feminine'. For example, he tends to equate maleness with reason and
rationality, whereas feminity with irrationality and emotions: "Human
life is the same struggle of the sensual feminine and conceptual
masculine origins in every person irrespective of his sex2".
The lecture course does neither present students any alternative
philosophical accounts developed, for example, by constructivists,
deconstructivists or post-modernists and the only women-philosopher
refered is Simone de Bivoir. Author as well does not consider feminism
as a school worse any studies as he presents its definition as follows:
"Feminism is as old as time endeavor to impose on person certain social
roles, originated in the distorted perceptions about his biological essence"3.
Besides this strong essentialist approach the author seems to lack
gender sensitivity as he refers to the subject of examination -
'person' or 'individual' - using only masculine pronouns.
Some of the lecture courses are even of an ambiguous character. For
example, very interesting reader "Gender and Journalism" presents many
accounts on interrelation of gender and journalism and on the
double-sided relations between them. On the one hand author talks about
enforcement of gender stereotypes through gender insensitive articles
or advertisements, whereas on the other hand gives concrete examples of
the subversive potential of the mass media. But at the beginning of the
book the author contradicts himself when it comes to the discussion of
the biological and social in gender roles. He discusses brain
differences of men and women discovered by American neurologist Roger
Gorsky at the California University in Los-Angeles and comes to the
conclusion that our nature had assigned different tasks for men and
women embodied in their brain structure. The author claims that:
"Innovation in all businesses is a male mission", whereas "women can
lead the solution of already known tasks to the perfection"4.
However, in the next chapter the author is criticizing biodeterminism:
"Using this approach the researchers usually study impact of gender as
biological or social category on the study object. If it was possible
to discover any differences, they are assigned to the differences
between gender groups (women and men), what in its essence is
tautology, as the researcher a-priory establishes discourse of their
differences, basically referring women and men to different social and
demographic categories5".
It seems that author is criticizing his assumptions in the previous
chapter and this open contradiction remains unanswered through the
whole lecture course.
At the same time I would like to emphasize the successful
presentation of gender concepts in the lectures courses on Gender and
Political Science, Gender and Sociology, Gender Aspects of the
Economical Theory, Legal Aspects of Gender Research, Gender and
Anthropology, etc. This teaching materials present the alternative
points of view on the society and initiate discussions on the topics,
which just recently were perceived as natural and unquestioned.
Academic Community:
Academic Community engaged in gender activities is not numerous but
is constantly growing. The largest share of the scholars interested in
Gender Issues is academics coming from different humanitarian
backgrounds. Currently there are only few people who have graduate
degrees in Gender Studies gained in the American or European
Universities.
On 18 December 1998 by the decree of the Presidium of the Azerbaijan
Scientific Academy under the Institute of Philosophy and Law was
established department "New Trends in Philosophy and Gender Studies".
The department is engaged in working out the methodology, concepts and
theoretical baseline for people interested in post-graduate studies on
gender problematic. The activities of the department are aimed at
establishment of the Azerbaijan Gender Studies School, which will
differ by its own pave and traditions. "New Trends in Philosophy and
Gender Studies" is the first department within the state institution
concerning gender issues in Azerbaijan. Currently there are total staff
of 16 people working in the department. The chief of the Department is
Doctor of Philosophy, Prof. Ali Abbasov. Department is also engaged in
assistance to the scholars writing their academic research on gender
subjects. Currently department is working with 4 dissertants and
aspirants.
The first person in Azerbaijan to defend the Doctoral thesis in
Gender Studies is Ms. Rena Mirzazadeh on the theme: "Gender in
Philosophical, Historical, Political and Legal Analysis". Recently
deputy of national Parliament Malahat Hasanova defended her PhD thesis
on the topic: "Role of Women's Movement in Azerbaijan in the Struggle
for Independence". The dissertation of Tamam Jafarova on the similar
topic "Role of Women in the National Independence Struggle in
1985-2005" had been approved in the Baku State University, but was not
defended yet.
The number of under-graduate and graduate students who choose gender
issues as topics of their thesis increases every year in the Western
University, Baku State University, Academy of Public Administration and
other higher education institutes. According to the senior lecture of
the Academy of Public Administration Yelena Kasumova, gender topics
were fist introduced to the Master Degree students in 2001 and only one
student selected it for her paper. In 2003 gender topics were
introduced to Bachelors and selected by one student. In 2004 two
students in the Academy holding Master and Bachelor's degrees selected
gender issue related topics for their theses. In 2005 already 3
Bachelor students and 2 Masters selected gender as a theme for their
papers. Besides Academy of Public Administration several defenses on
gender related topics were held in the Western University and Baku
States University. This trend brings us the optimism about the
perspectives of gender studies development in Azerbaijan.
Publications:
The first pioneers of gender studies in Azerbaijan had experienced
an obvious lack of textbooks and learning materials. They were using
mainly publications available in Russian or English languages, which
were brought mainly from trainings, seminars or conferences abroad.
However recently number of publications in Azeri language increased,
but still cannot be characterized as sufficient.
Even there were many publications in Azeri about the lives of Azeri
women in the soviet or post-soviet era, none of them might be consider
to have gender sensitive approach to the topic. Only within the last
years there were issued number of books, which deals explicitly or
implicitly with gender problematic. For example in the collection of
the library of Gender Information Center there are 13 books on gender
problematic in Russian and 20 books in Azeri languages complied
published in Azerbaijan since 1998.
The Gender Information Center tries to fulfill the missing gaps and
since the year of its establishment worked out the number of
publications. For example, in 2002 the Center had published two books:
"Ekofeminism" and "Cyber feminism". In 2003 was published for the first
time "European Women's Thesaurus" in three languages (Azeri, Russian,
English). The same year was published the collection of informational
resources on gender available in the Internet: "Popular Informational
Gender Resources" and annotated bibliographical guide "Gender in
Azerbaijan Periodicals 2000-2002". In 2005 the Center published
"Regional Directory of Women's Groups", which presents contact
information of women's NGOs from the Eastern Europe. Currently the
historical account on women's activism in the Southern Caucasus:
"Traditions of Women's Movement in Azerbaijan" is in print.
After the adoption of the "Platform of Action" of the Fourth World
Conference on Women in: Beijing in 1995 the State Statistical Committee
every year publishes statistical reference book "Women and Men in
Azerbaijan". This account presents statistics analyzed and compared
through prism of gender differences in Azerbaijan society.
Gender Studies Center under the Western University is engaged in
translations of the key publications into Azeri language, which mainly
can be used for teachers in gender studies as manuals or course
materials. For example, in 2002 the Center published in Azeri "Oxfam
Gender Training Manual" (UK).
The majority of publications in Azeri language had been done by the
Union "Gender and Human Rights". For example, within the framework of
the project "Gender Library" the Union published the following books:
"Gender Studies in Azerbaijan" (2002), "Gender. Philosophy. Culture"
(2003), "Gender in Azerbaijan" (2003), "Introduction to Gender Studies"
(2004), "Women's Problem in the History of the Fine Art and Social
Thought in Azerbaijan", "Elections and Gender Factor" (2004), etc. The
project "Gender Library" was funded by the Women's Network Program OSI
and Eurasia Foundation.
However, the number of valuable books on gender issues in Azeri
language still remains insignificant. There is a considerable need to
translate the classics of gender studies as limited knowledge in
English, German, French and other languages creates narrow
opportunities for broad public to access the monographs of the famous
gender scholars and founders of new epistemological and practical
approaches.
Information Resources
Being the new field of
study Gender Research still could not gain the full status in the
stocks of public libraries in Azerbaijan. For example, the biggest
national library named after Mirza Fatali Ahundov does not have even
section on Gender Studies. Several books on gender available to the
reader are classified under the sections on political science,
sociology, peace building, etc. However, some resources on Gender
Studies are available in the University libraries, or at the Gender
Research Centers established under the Universities, for example, in
Baku State University, Khazar University, Western University.
The largest informational recourse on Gender Studies in Azerbaijan
is Azerbaijan Gender Information Center established in 2002 by the NWP
OSI initiative. The Center has large collection of books, monographs,
textbooks on Gender Issues in Azeri, Russian, English, French and other
languages, exceeding in total 1200 items. The books are available for
all people interested in Gender Problematic and can be borrowed for the
short time period. The Center has also collection of the 8 000 press
clippings on Gender or Women's problematic published in all periodicals
in Azerbaijan in Azeri and Russian languages starting from the year
1998.
Another significant component of Center's activities is development
of the first Azerbaijan National Gender portal in three languages:
Azeri, Russian and English of 50 MGB. The Portal is constantly updated
and empowered by the technologies of HTML, SSI, Perl, JavaScript, GSS,
etc. The Portal presents 12 sections such as the projects of the
Women's Network Program, gender problems of the transitional period of
the country, fundraising, participation of women at the decision making
level in Azerbaijan, etc. Portal presents the possible to hold public
opinion polls on all three languages. It also contains information
about 262 projects on gender issues conducted in Azerbaijan, database
on 57 Women's NGOs, information about courses and degrees in Gender
studies offered by the universities in the US, Europe, NIS, etc. It has
also electronic form of 7 000 press clippings in Azeri and Russian
languages. The Portal also offers the subscription to its news and
currently the number of the subscribers exceeds 220 people.
Among the other gender informational resources may be listed the
page of Gender Studies Center on the website of the Western University
- www.wu.edu.az. This page describes main missions and activities of the Center, and is used for announcement of the events held at the Center.
Two more sties on gender issues were created by Women's NGOs Creative Women Association in 1999 - www.cwa.aznet.org and Women's Society "Azery-Turk" - www.tanzilarustamhanli.com - in 2004. However, these sites are mostly concentrate on their project activities and present photo accounts on the work done.
Donor's :
There are no donor organizations operating today in Azerbaijan,
which consider gender studies as a key point of financing. However,
number of the donors allocates the finances for development of gender
sensitive approaches and researches. Each of them set their financing
strategies independently and there is no body or working group that
could coordinate their efforts. Among the key international donor
organizations can be listed OSI-Azerbaijan, UNDP, UNICEF, OXFAM, AED,
ISAR, Eurasia Foundation.
The World Bank is considering doing a country-wide gender assessment
in accordance with its gender mainstreaming policy. As it was already
mentioned earlier the World Bank was among the pioneers donating money
for gender projects. In 2000 the Bank had financed number of projects
stipulating the development of gender curricula.
Gender and Development Unit at the UNDP focuses on the encouragement
of gender issues development: gender planning, statistics trainings,
community gender awareness and women's NGOs capacity building. The UNDP
currently has started new gender project "2005 National Human Development Report on Gender Attitudes". With
the financial support made available by the Embassy of Norway, UNDP
will broadly address gender issues in Azerbaijan through piloting a
survey on gender attitudes and eventual launching the 2005 NHDR
reflecting findings of the survey, thereby stimulating public debate
and triggering policy action for ensuring greater gender equality in
the country.
UNIFEM has a special Caucasus project on "Women for Conflict
Prevention and Peace Building". Besides holding the conferences and
publishing activities the project has developed the new course on
"Introduction to Conflict Studies. Increasing Women's Role in Conflict
Resolutions", which was described earlier.
The Global Fund for Women even does not have representative office
in Azerbaijan annually allocates two grants for Women's' NGOs in
Azerbaijan. The majority of the projects are connected with
organization of the trainings and conference sections, however Fund
funded two gender research projects. In 2002 NGO "Islam, Democracy and
Human Rights" conducted research entitled: 'Gender Issues in World
Religions: Women's Rights in Islam'. In 2004 Women's Association for
Rational Development conducted gender expertise of the national
legislation and had published the book "Women's Rights in Azerbaijan - Legal Basis" in three languages (Azeri, Russian and English).
The Open Society Institute has a Network Women's Program providing
funding for various women's initiatives. One of their main activities
is a gender education projects aiming to integrate gender methodology
into secondary and higher education, such as Empowering Education
Project, Development of Gender Studies in Post-Soviet countries,
Establishment and development of Gender Studies Centers, Research
projects, Projects relate to development of higher education curricula,
Publishing of readers, Oral History projects, Education projects on
Women's rights in Islam, gender education schools, funding of the
Azerbaijan Gender Information Center and creation of the first web
portal on gender issues in Azerbaijan. The dynamics of the gender
studies funds allocation within 1998-2005 years is 403950$. is
Recommendations on Gender Education Development:
Taking into account the achievements and shortcomings discussed in
this report, I would like to propose following recommendations for the
further development of gender education in Azerbaijan:
Increase of gender sensitivity among the teaching staff of the
primary and higher schools through conduction of trainings for the
working teaching staff and introduction of gender studies into the
curriculum of the prospective teachers, in the State Pedagogical
University named after Tusi, Ganja Pedagogical University, University
of Foreign Languages, etc.
Introduction of Gender Studies into the curriculums of the Universities in the regions of Azerbaijan.
Gender expertise of the textbooks and course lectures used as teaching materials in the primary and higher schools.
Organization of the competition for the Best lecture course on gender issues in different disciplines.
Publication of the reader or collection of readers on classical feminist and gender scholars in Azeri language.
Organization of the Summer School on Gender Studies in Azerbaijan with participation of the international experts.
This research was conducted on request of the Network Women's
Program Azerbaijan - OSI. The methodology of this research was
qualitative data analyses. The data was collected from the primary
sources such as reports on gender education, publications of the Gender
Centers operating in the Republic, statistical data books, interviews
with active participants of the gender educational projects in
Azerbaijan.
List of references:
Ayfer Bartu, Halil Dundar, Geoff Howse, Larissa Lemberanskaya, Rasim Ramazanov, Rajab Sattarov, "Social Assessment. Azerbaijan Education Reform", final report, Baku, 2000.
Dilsuz Mustafayev, "The report on status of Gender Education at the institution of higher education in Azerbaijan", report, Baku, 2001.
Fidan Faradjeva, Magiba Aliyeva, "Gender Education in Azerbaijan", report, Baku, 2004
Judith A. Allen, Sally L. Kitch, "Disciplined by Disciplines? The Need for an Interdisciplinary research mission in Women's Studies", Feminist Studies # 24.2, 1998 / Summer.
Larissa Lemberanskaya, Gulnara Mamedova, "Documentation and Evaluation Project. Open Society Institute - Azerbaijan Women's Program", report, Baku, 2001.
Àçèìîâ À.Á., "Ãåíäåð è Ôèëîñîôèÿ", â ñáîðíèêå "Ãåíäåð: Èñòîðèÿ, Îáùåñòâî, Êóëüòóðà", Áàêó, 2002.
Áàáàåâ Ç.Ê., "Ëåêöèè: Ãåíäåð è Æóðíàëèñòèêà", Áàêó, 2005.
Ì.Ì. Àááàñçàäÿ, Ò.ß. Áÿäÿëîâ, À.Ù. Áàüûðîâ, Î.É. Øåëàãèíîâ, "Ãÿáóë Èìòàùàíëàðûí íÿòèúÿëÿðèíèí ýåíäåð àñïåêòëÿðè: 2004-úö èë", ÒÃÄÊ - "Àáèòóðèéåíò", Áàêû, 2004.
Electronic materials of the Azerbaijan Gender Information Center's website: www.gender-az.org
APPENDIX 1
Topics |
Number of hours |
|
Total |
Lectures |
Seminars |
1 |
Introduction to gender |
4 |
4 |
|
2 |
Philosophical content of Gender |
2 |
|
2 |
3 |
Political history and gender |
4 |
4 |
|
4 |
Gender aspects of political thinking in modern period |
2 |
|
2 |
5 |
Gender aspects of political theory |
4 |
4 |
|
6 |
Political framework of feministic philosophy |
2 |
|
2 |
7 |
Socialist system and gender |
4 |
4 |
|
8 |
Political regime and gender |
2 |
|
2 |
9 |
Gender policy and socialization |
4 |
4 |
|
10 |
Gender policy and political participation |
2 |
|
2 |
11 |
Future of gender and its influence to political processes |
4 |
4 |
|
12 |
Gender policy in Azerbaijan |
2 |
|
2 |
|
TOTAL |
36 |
24 |
12 |
APPENDIX 2
¹ |
Course |
The authors |
1. |
Gender aspects in history of Azerbaijan |
Mamedova Farida - corresponding member National Azerbaijan Academy of, the doctor of historical sciences.
Gadzhiev Ulvija - the younger scientific employee of the National Azerbaijan Academy of sciences |
2. |
Gender aspects in political sciences |
Aliyeva Magiba - the senior teacher of political
sciences and political management faculty of the Academy of the
Government management under the President of the Azerbaijan Republic,
candidate of historical sciences
Orduxanova Fidan - the political scientist, the dissertator |
3. |
Gender aspects in philosophy |
Azimov Anar - the chief of the department "East - West"
Oriental studies Institute of the National Azerbaijan Academy of
sciences, candidate of philosophy |
4. |
Gender sociology |
Axundov Akif - the senior lecturer of faculty humanitarian disciplines of Western University, candidate of philosophy |
5. |
Gender and culture |
Faradjeva Fidan - the senior lecturer of philosophy faculty of the Baku State University, candidate of philosophy |
6. |
Psychological aspects of gender problematic |
Abbaszade Nagina- the teacher of faculty political science
of the Western University, the post-graduate student Azerbaijan State
Pedagogical University |
7. |
Gender aspect in the economical theory |
Ibragimova Eleonora - managing faculty economy, marketing and management the Western University, candidate of economical science |
8. |
Legal aspects of gender researches |
Gadjieva Elmira - managing faculty of the law the Western University jurisprudence science |
9. |
Gender aspects of employment the population in Azerbaijan Republic |
Sulejmanova Gulara -senior lector of department economy, marketing and management of the Western University, candidate of economical science
|
10. |
Philology |
Gafaorva Sabina - senior lector, the dean of faculty of the English philology of the Western University, candidate of philological sciences |
11. |
Conflict study |
Alieva Magiba - the senior teacher of political sciences and
political management faculty of the Academy of the Government
management under the President of the Azerbaijan Republic, candidate of
historical sciences |
12. |
Journalism |
Babayev Zaur - the senior teacher the theory and practice of journalism faculty of the Baku State University |
13. |
Art criticism |
Gulieva Leili - senior lector philosophy faculty of Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, candidate of philosophy |
14. |
Anthropology |
Faradjeva Fidan - the senior lecturer of philosophy faculty of the Baku State University, candidate of philosophy |
15. |
Ecology |
Gurbanovva Saida - senior lector.of economy, marketing and management faculty of Western University,
Bayramova Lala - the senior teacher of environment protection faculty of the Baku State University |
1 Judith A. Allen, Sally L. Kitch, "Disciplined by Disciplines? The Need for an Interdisciplinary research mission in Women's Studies", Feminist Studies # 24.2, 1998 / Summer, pp. 276.
2 Àçèìîâ À.Á., "Ãåíäåð è Ôèëîñîôèÿ", â ñáîðíèêå "Ãåíäåð: Èñòîðèÿ, Îáùåñòâî, Êóëüòóðà", Áàêó, 2002, ñòð. 142
3 Àçèìîâ À.Á., "Ãåíäåð è Ôèëîñîôèÿ", â ñáîðíèêå "Ãåíäåð: Èñòîðèÿ, Îáùåñòâî, Êóëüòóðà", Áàêó, 2002, ñòð. 164
4 Áàáàåâ Ç.Ê., "Ëåêöèè: Ãåíäåð è Æóðíàëèñòèêà", Áàêó, 2005, ñòð 81.
5 Áàáàåâ Ç.Ê., "Ëåêöèè: Ãåíäåð è Æóðíàëèñòèêà", Áàêó, 2005, ñòð. 92.