20:49, 8 March 2019

Police disrupt feminist march in Baku (+video)

Policemen prevented activists from marching in protest of violence against women. Baku, March 8, 2019. Photo by Aziz Karimov for the "Caucasian Knot"

Policemen prevented activists from marching in protest of violence against women. They explained their actions by the fact that the march was not sanctioned. Female activists argue stating that holiday actions require no sanctioning.

The action "March 8 – speak out against violence!" was announced on the Facebook by a group of feminists, who stated the goal of the march was to draw attention to the problem of domestic violence. They called on women to unite to "make women's voices heard and escape the males' hegemony."

"Every year, in Azerbaijan, 100 women are killed as a result of domestic violence. Even more cases of violence are hidden for absence of official complaints. Women, who are beaten and raped, cannot get support," said the preview.

Every year, some 30-40 women-victims of domestic violence seek help, said Novella Djafaroglu, the head of the Society for the Protection of Women's Rights. One of the latest resonant cases of domestic violence was the beating of his wife by Azerbaijani kick-boxer Anar Suleimanov.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 8, 2019 at 02:53 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Faik Medjid

Source: CK correspondent