On February 17, 2021, Mrs. Bahar Muradova, Chair of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs met with Mrs. Karin Hoerhan, Chair of the Good Governance for Local Development Project and Head of the German International Organization (GIZ) Country Office.

Welcoming the guests, Mrs. Bahar Muradova thanked for the initiative of the meeting and said that this meeting was important in terms of discussion of future plans. She noted that the joint projects of the Committee and GIZ were remembered with significant results, especially thanked for the efforts of the organization since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and its support for the victims of the 44-day war.

Talking about concrete steps that have been taken to ensure the representation of women in various positions in Azerbaijan, as well as gender equality in general, Mrs. Muradova stressed the importance of providing the necessary technical and other support to local gender focal points, especially the Gender Commissions being established within municipalities, and the training and strengthening the capacity of local staff and volunteers.

Referring to the speech of Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva, the First Vice-President at the high-level meeting of ISESCO, the Chair of the Committee noted that this year was declared the "Year of Women" by the organization. If we look at the unique history of the development of our country and today's results in this direction, we can say that Azerbaijan will play a major role in this process in the Islamic and Eastern world.

Touching upon the construction work in the post-war period, and the President’s statement on the creation of "smart villages" and "smart cities"  in the liberated territories, the Chair of the Committee noted that the scope of our work in this area should be expanded and a number of important new projects in this direction should be increased.

Expressing gratitude for the warm reception, Mrs. Karin Hoerhan, GIZ Country Director noted that her visit to Azerbaijan coincided with a pandemic, as well as a time of war. She said that she has not witnessed so many historical events in any country like she has in Azerbaijan".

Noting that the issue of gender equality is considered in the document in some countries where she works,

Mrs.Hoerhan especially stressed Azerbaijan’s commitment and approaches to the issue of gender equality. Stressing that the main role of the organization is to support partners in Azerbaijan on issues of strategic priority, Mrs. Hoerhan spoke about the project "Good Governance for Local Development" implemented this year. Talking about the establishment of the Women Resource Center (WRC) in Goychay, the GIZ representative noted that the project is a pilot initiative to support women, especially during the pandemic, and expressed interest in the Committee's strategy for future work on WRC and Gender Commissions in municipalities.

Answering to Mrs. Hoerhan's question, Mrs. Bahar Muradova said that the local aspect is very important. These projects should be expanded and cover more regions. It would be important to take steps, taking into account the possibility of Women Resource Centers and Child and Family Support Centers to cover all regions of the country, and demonstrate a balanced approach. We must continue to establish gender commissions in municipalities and provide them with the necessary equipment and strengthen technical support. Training of relevant people and increasing their opportunities should also be in the focus of attention.

Drawing attention to her recent meeting with members of the Azerbaijan Rural Women's Association, the Chair of the State Committee said they were looking forward to projects aimed at rural women and wanted these events to cover more areas. Women are eager to start their own businesses. In this regard, it is important to inform women about the relevant topic.

Touching upon the Gender Budgeting project, Mrs. Hoerhan said they are interested in continuing this project. She also noted that GIZ is also implementing a special project for vulnerable groups, refugees, and IDPs.

At the end of the meeting, Mrs. Bahar Muradova presented a letter of appreciation to the German Organization for International Cooperation, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the State Committee.

The meeting was attended by Mrs. Fidan Gasimova, Advisor of the Good Governance for Local Development Project, and Mrs. Sabina Manafova, Head of the Foreign Relations and Protocol Service Department of the State Committee.