BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 7. Inclusiveness requires gender parity numbers and a culture of parity in all spaces, said Sevil Mikayilova, Vice President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) from Azerbaijan and a member of the Azerbaijani Parliament, during the Forum of Women Parliamentarians at the 150th IPU Assembly in Tashkent. The Azerbaijani delegation to the Assembly is led by Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament.
In her speech, Sevil Mikayilova, representing the Inter-Parliamentary Union's Gender Partnership Group, discussed the findings from the delegation composition monitoring at the current Assembly.
She pointed out that 37.3% of the delegates registered at the Tashkent forum are women. This is better than the past five Assemblies. But below the record 39% women delegates in Nusa Dua in 2022 and Madrid in 2021. At the same time, all-male delegations continue to be a problem, with seven of them at the current Assembly. The number of all-female delegations remains steady, with three such delegations participating.
MP Mikayilova also highlighted the positive changes in the implementation of the IPU's policy to combat harassment. "The Group welcomed the efforts that are being made to raise awareness of the policy and ensure the IPU is a safe space for everyone. At the next Assembly in October 2025 in Geneva, training on anti-harassment will be offered to participants, as a new means to spread the word and make sure we all play our part," she added.
Moreover, the Group recommended making sure that any host country agreement for IPU meetings includes a clear commitment to abiding by the IPU policy against harassment. The Group also discussed women’s participation in national parliaments worldwide, with a focus on countries with less than 10% women MPs.
"Inclusiveness is a pillar of democracy. And this requires gender parity numbers and a culture of parity in all spaces," Sevil Mikayilova said.
The 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union is being held from April 5 to 9, 2025, in Tashkent. The event features sessions of all IPU statutory bodies, including the Governing Council, permanent committees, as well as the Forum of Women Parliamentarians and the Forum of Young Parliamentarians. The central topic of the general debates is the role of parliaments in promoting social development and ensuring justice, making this Assembly a key platform for international dialogue and cooperation.
