UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan visits Tartar Women’s Resource Centre as 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence kicks off

November 30, 2022

This week, within the 16 Days of Activism Campaign against gender-based violence His Majesty’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Fergus Auld together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) team visited Tartar. The aim of the visit was to meet with women beneficiaries of the joint project and observe a quest organized for local youth.

Tartar Women’s Resource Centre operates as part of the “Empowering and creating equal opportunities for vulnerable, conflict affected women in Azerbaijan to overcome barriers towards greater economic and social participation (ECEO)” project implemented by UNDP with the support of the UK Government. The project’s long-term goal is to increase the resilience of conflict-affected women to conflict and trauma. It aims to serve vulnerable women, refugees and IDPs, local executive authorities and municipalities; private sector businesses and local communities, government institutions responsible for family, children and women affairs, labour and social protection, private sector businesses and local communities.

During his visit, the UK Ambassador met with the members of the Women’s Resource Center in Tartar and heard their stories firsthand. He awarded certificates to successful participants of the career orientation, data collection and communications and advocacy trainings. To date, 70 women in Tartar have successfully completed these trainings – 20 women in career orientation, 20 women in data collection, and 30 women in communications and advocacy.

Ambassador Auld also visited “Change a story” quest organized for local youth of 18-22 ages. The aim of the quest was to raise awareness of rural young men and women about gender-based violence and support them in becoming “agents of change” in the regions. 18 young men and women were awarded certificates of completion.