BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 24. Being a woman is not easy. Being a woman entrepreneur is much more difficult, despite the fact that women have the full potential to carry out major challenges and implement great initiatives. It is sufficient that the things that drive them get more day by day. For this purpose, with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Women's National Business Agenda (WNBA), which is regarded as one of the most serious and trustworthy platforms for promoting women's entrepreneurship and supporting women in the workplace in many countries, was established in Azerbaijan two years ago. The WNBA is an effective platform that serves as a platform between the state bodies, the public and women entrepreneurs who want to work independently, take risks, and be open to innovations and changes. One of the crucial facts is that Azerbaijan is the first country in the Caucasus that developed and implemented the WNBA.
The WNBA white paper prepared thanks to high professionalism through thorough research, focus group discussions and analytical surveys, provides recommendations to remove barriers that women face in the workplace and in business. But how can these recommendations help Azerbaijani women see and seize the proper opportunities, make bold decisions forward, and develop the resilience and courage needed to overcome challenges? The founder of the Azerbaijani Women in Science (AWiS) platform, Gunel Agabeyli, who contributed to the development of this document, answered these questions.
Inspiring women
Ms. Gunel is a young woman. However, the initiatives she has implemented with her team take a long time to list. This is the "Then and Beyond" project with the financial support of USAID, the "Mind and Triad" initiative and the “Fantastic Four” educational program. The WNBA is also among these initiatives.
According to Agabeyli, being the first country in the region to take such a significant step is something we can be proud of while also bearing a lot of responsibilities. The steps we have taken, the lessons we have learned, and the success achieved will serve as an example for other states of the Caucasus and motivate them to adopt measures in this direction. As for the recommendations in the document, a collaborative approach is needed to achieve the goal. Therefore, we, at AWiS, have taken on certain tasks. Increasing the number of female top managers and employees is the priority. It is well-known that the leadership of most private companies, as well as government agencies, is dominated by men. Opportunities for career advancement and development are associated not only with performance but also with risks. However, managers for some reason tend to view women as higher-risk employees than do males. It is very important to break this stereotype, both in words and in deeds. Another important recommendation is to remove obstacles to the implementation of maternity benefits and solve problems with remote work and vacation.
The next key recommendation is to introduce appropriate amendments to the Labor Code in connection with discrimination and harassment against women in the workplace. So, how can we support the WNBA?
Thus, the main goal of our organization is to educate women in order to facilitate their transition to personal growth and career development. I am glad that the recommendations in the document align with our organization’s objectives. For example, As Agabeyli noted, the recommendation on the possibility of remote work for parents will enable mothers to devote time to their children and take care of them without worrying about losing their jobs.
"Being a parent is currently an expensive process and involves a lot of expenses, whether before or after childbirth. In most cases, it is not easy to cope with expenses if only one person works in the family. Naturally, we are talking about middle- and low-income families here. Our women's careers will not suffer, they will not be out of work if the recommendations of the WNBA are followed and state institutions will support us at the legislative level," - she added.
“And most importantly, women will make an economic contribution to their families. This means that there will be no stress in families, and the child will grow up happy. This is only one example of a significant advantage of the WNBA. I'm confident that the WNBA opens up new, clearly defined perspectives for our organization as well as for many other sectors, and that these proposals will lead to a variety of chances for thousands of women," - she said.