On October 20, a high-level event titled “Women’s Economic Empowerment: Experiences from Azerbaijan and the Nordic-Baltic Countries” was held in Baku. The event was jointly organized by the embassies of Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden, together with the Kitabistan Research Center.

The ambassadors of the organizing countries attended the event in person: Mr. Väino Reinart, Ambassador of Estonia to Azerbaijan and Türkiye; Mrs. Kirsti Narinen, Ambassador of Finland to the South Caucasus; Mr. Edgars Skuja, Ambassador of Latvia to Azerbaijan; Mr. Kestutis Vaskelevicius, Ambassador of Lithuania to Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan; and Mr. Tobias Lorentzson, Ambassador of Sweden to Azerbaijan.

The main goal of the event was to analyze the advanced practices and successful examples of the Nordic and Baltic countries which are recognized worldwide for their achievements in gender equality and the full integration of women into the economy in the context of Azerbaijan, as well as to discuss the challenges women face in the economic sphere both in Azerbaijan and globally, and explore possible solutions.

Opening the event with welcoming remarks, Malak Hajiyeva, co-founder of the Kitabistan Research Center, emphasized that women’s economic empowerment is not merely a matter of gender equality, but also an economic and social priority. She noted that women around the world continue to face numerous structural barriers, such as limited access to finance, the burden of unpaid care work, and persistent stereotypes.
 

The first part of the two-session event was held in a Trialogue format on the topic “Challenges and Opportunities for Women in the Labor Market.” Moderated by Malak Hajiyeva, the session featured Vugar Bayramov, Member of Parliament and Founder and Chairman of the Center for Economic and Social Development, and Parvana Bayramova, Programme Specialist at UN Women Azerbaijan, as speakers.
The speakers discussed the challenges women face in Azerbaijan’s labor market, existing barriers, government policies aimed at addressing these barriers and challenges, and UN Women Azerbaijan’s activities in this direction. They also answered questions from the moderator. V. Bayramov provided information about policies implemented to enhance women’s economic participation and efforts to improve the legislative framework. P. Bayramova spoke about Azerbaijan’s commitments within the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals - particularly SDG 5 - as well as issues such as the gender pay gap and the UN’s initiatives to address these challenges.
 

Following the first session of the event, a video message from Zydrune Vitaite, co-founder of Women Go Tech in Lithuania, was presented to the participants. In her address, Vitaite spoke about their initiatives implemented in Lithuania to promote women’s economic empowerment and emphasized the importance of empowering women in the economy.

The second session of the event continued in an expanded panel discussion format moderated by Malak Hajiyeva. Alongside local experts, specialists from Finland and Latvia also participated as speakers in the panel discussion. The panel featured Katrina Zarina, Member of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Director of the Foreign Affairs Department; Leyla Seyidzade, Women In Tech Azerbaijan Chapter Director, and Advisor of the Azerbaijan Women's Entrepreneurship Development Association; Sabina Parvizi, Founder & Owner of Bloom Group Marketing Agency, Executive Board Member of Femmes Digital - Supporting Women in Tech; and Ari Perala, CEO of Helmi Learning.
The speakers shared examples from Azerbaijan, Finland, and Latvia related to women’s economic empowerment. They discussed programs and initiatives necessary to eliminate economic barriers for women, the steps companies can take to promote women’s empowerment, and the impact of early education on shaping gender roles. Drawing on the Finnish experience, Ari Perala highlighted programs implemented in schools and communities to combat gender stereotypes. Katrina Zarina shared the Latvian Chamber of Commerce’s efforts and experiences in advancing women’s economic empowerment in Latvia.
 

The panelists also addressed issues such as gender stereotypes that hinder women’s economic independence and experiences in achieving work-life balance. The event continued with an interactive Q&A session.

By bringing together representatives of the diplomatic corps, policymakers, international organizations, local and foreign experts, civil society activists, and the general public interested in the topic, the event served as an important platform for multifaceted dialogue.
 

22.10.2025