Azerbaijan Woman

In many ways, Hibba Abugideiri, a naturalized American citizen, epitomizes both the modern and the traditional. Her high level of education (she holds a Ph.D. in history from Georgetown University) and professional career (she is a professor of Middle Eastern history at George Washington University) show her to be a thoroughly modern woman, while her devout Islamic piety and reverence for family keep her firmly grounded in traditional values. ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: Transcript: State Department Noon Briefing, October 16

QUESTION: I think there was diplomatic representation. And I'm sorry, I don't have the name of the person who was there. It was a woman, I think it was. ... [Read More]

Eurasia Overview

20 June: A man and a woman detonated a truck bomb in the vicinity of an Internal Ministry building in Groznyy, killing themselves and wounding 36. ...

9 December: A female suicide bomber detonated a bomb near Moscow’s Red Square, killing herself, five others, and wounding 14. The woman and an accomplice had asked passersby for directions to the state Duma moments before the detonation. ... [Read More]

Office of Academic Exchange Programs: European Programs Branch – Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs – U.S. Department of State

- International Women's Day: Roundtable, "Woman in the Work Place/Gender Aspects," March 24th (Minsk) ... [Read More]

United States Humanitarian Demining Programs in Europe

The U.S. Government’s Humanitarian Demining Program seeks to relieve human suffering while promoting U.S. interests. The Program’s objectives are to establish and support sustainable indigenous demining programs, reduce civilian casualties, create conditions for the return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes, reinforce an affected country’s stability, and encourage international cooperation and participation. The Program seeks to accomplish these objectives by helping to establish and support sustainable indigenous mine action capabilities in mine-affected nations. Since FY 1993, the United States has committed almost $500 million to global mine action initiatives, including research and development. Out of the 26 countries in Europe reported to have landmine problems, the United States is providing assistance to nine of those countries and the province of Kosovo. These countries are Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegov ... [Read More]

Azerbaijan

In July police broke up an officially registered Pentecostal church service at the home of a member. Worshippers were detained and harassed for several hours before being released. The next day, the police apologized for their actions; however, the woman owner of the home in which the service took place was subjected to harassment by court officials who ordered her to stand trial for violating outdated administrative codes. The judge dismissed the case as unconstitutional and inconsistent with the 1996 law on religious freedom. ... [Read More]

Azerbaijan

The criminal code enacted in September 2000 bans acts of torture and provides for up to 10 years imprisonment for violators; however, there were credible reports that prison guards continued to torture inmates and that both prison guards and the police used excessive force to extract confessions. Police beat prisoners during arrest, interrogation, and pretrial detention. In November 2000, in the days following a violent demonstration in Sheki, police detained and reportedly tortured a 61-year old woman, Gulhar Pashayeva, in order to extract a confession that she had participated in the demonstration and to obtain the name of other participants. The policemen involved were not punished. ... [Read More]

V. Country Narratives -- Countries A through G

Equatorial Guinea is a transit and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation, involuntary domestic servitude, and other forced labor. Women and children are trafficked to Equatorial Guinea from West and Central Africa, principally Cameroon, Nigeria, and Benin. Women are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation in Malabo, where demand is high due to the booming oil sector. Cameroonian and Beninese children are trafficked to Malabo for exploitation as street and market hawkers; Nigerian boys are trafficked to Rio Muni (the mainland) for exploitation as agricultural workers. The Government of Equatorial Guinea does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Over the past year the government has made a number of efforts that attest ... [Read More]

Azerbaijan Presidential Election

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