Details added (first version posted on 12:03)
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 30
By Ilhama Isabalayeva - Trend:
Consistent policy pursued by Azerbaijan is aimed at ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women, says a congratulatory letter of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to the participants of the 5th Women’s Forum, dedicated to the centenary of granting suffrage to Azerbaijani women.
The letter was read out at the forum by Head of the Department for Humanitarian Policy Issues of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan Farah Aliyeva.
“Dear participants of the forum! Dear women! I cordially congratulate you on the opening of the 5th Azerbaijani Women’s Forum,” the Azerbaijani president said in his message. “I wish you all robust health, happiness and success."
"The holding of the forum in connection with the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic is rather symbolic. Having obtained the right to elect and be elected long before the women of many advanced countries during the period of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, which was the first democratic republic in the Muslim East, that Azerbaijani women began to actively participate in the socio-political, socio-economic, scientific and cultural life of the country,” says the letter.
“They have worked hard, particularly, in the field of creating education, healthcare and culture systems based on modern principles, they have passed a path full of achievements,” President Aliyev said.
“The fact that the first steps in a number of spheres have been taken by Azerbaijani women among the women of the East is the result of the traditional great respect shown for them in our society, creation of the necessary conditions for the implementation of their knowledge and abilities,” said the letter.
“Azerbaijani women, who showed heroism and courage in the name of the sovereignty, territorial integrity of the country after the restoration of Azerbaijan’s state independence, demonstrated patriotism, determination and loyalty to the ideals of independence during the difficult events of those years,” says the letter. “Today they preserve our centuries-old national and spiritual values, sacred family traditions, make every effort to enhance Azerbaijan’s socio-economic, scientific and cultural potential, preserve multiculturalism and tolerance environment. The consistent policy, which eliminated all forms of discrimination, and which is pursued by Azerbaijan towards women is aimed at ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women.”
“I express confidence that the decisions to be made at your Forum will contribute to the improvement of this policy,” Ilham Aliyev said in his letter. “I believe that the forum will evaluate the work carried out in recent years in Azerbaijan to implement the policy of gender equality, having set the priorities for the forthcoming period, will put forward important tasks and encourage women to further enhance their activity for the sake of Azerbaijan’s development.”