3 February, 2016

H.E. Ambassador Elman Abdullayev, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Ethiopia and African Union, accompanied by Mr. Dmitri Panin, Second Secretary, visited UNESCO-IICBA on 03 February 2016. The two parties agreed on joining efforts to promote education for girls and women in African countries.

A meeting was held among Ambassador Elman Abdullayev, IICBA Director Dr. Yumiko Yokozeki and the IICBA programme staff. Ambassador Abdullayev explained that Azerbaijan has been historically committed to gender equity. The country has achieved universal suffrage in 1918, being the first to empower women, and by 1919 Azerbaijan had women parliamentarians. Women with Ph.D. in the fields of mathematics and science could be found in Azerbaijan almost a century ago. Currently, women in the country are holding key strategic areas including human resources and economic sectors of different government ministries and directories.

The Republic of Azerbaijan has contributed 5 million USD to the UNESCO/Azerbaijan Trust Fund, under which there are three projects implemented in the field of Girls’ Education in Sub-Saharan countries in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. 

Dr. Yokozeki shared her appreciation to Azerbaijan’s contribution to UNESCO and respect for their success in promoting gender equity. The gender empowerment experience in Azerbaijan can be an excellent example for many countries in Africa.

Ambassador Abdullayev also expressed his country’s willingness for further cooperation with UNESCO IICBA with its expertise in teacher education. He further stated his belief that the technical support of IICBA in teacher development would greatly contribute to enhanced learning and quality education.