WP 92 - An overview of women's work and employment in Azerbaijan

An overview of women’s work and employment in Azerbaijan

The incidence of personal computers (PCs) is still low. While in 2000 this incidence was 0.7 per 100
inhabitants, in 2007 it had more than trebled, to 2.4% -- still a low share (World Bank 2009a). Yet, the regular
use of computers, at work, in schools and universities and in Internet cafés is much higher, especially among
the young generation. For 2007 this use was estimated at over 40% for young females aged 16-24 and over
60% for young males of the same age. By contrast, computer use among females aged 25-54 was estimated
slightly less than 20%, against about 35% for males of the same age. Among those aged 55-74 this use was
estimated lower than 5% for both sexes (UNECE 2009).

Ownership of television sets is very widely spread: it was estimated that in 2007 99% of all households
had a television set (World Bank 2009a). In 2009, there were seven national television stations and 10 re-
gional TV stations, as well as 11 national radio broadcasters. There were also several national state-owned
newspapers and numerous newspapers funded by city or district-level officials. The printed media express a
wide variety of views on government policies, though objective, professional reporting is rather rare. Most
print outlets in the country are organs of the ruling party, opposition parties, or are thought to be connected
to prominent government officials. Newspaper circulation rates, both government and opposition, are low,
not surpassing 5,000 in most cases. Many newspapers circulate only in Baku. The law provides for freedom
of speech and of the press and specifically prohibits press censorship, but recently the government did not
respect these rights in practice. Notably in 2008 media freedom deteriorated significantly, and during 2009
the government took actions that further limited media independence. A March 2009 referendum made a
number of changes to the Constitution, including several that limit freedom of the media. These included
a prohibition on videotaping or photographing of anyone without their permission. The government also
amended the law on mass media to make it easier for the government to close a publication (US Dept of
State 2009, 2010).

The National Television and Radio Council (NTRC) in 2006 temporarily closed down ANS Television,
and in 2008 prohibited broadcasts of the BBC, Voice of America and Radio Liberty on national television
and FM radio frequencies. It also closed Russian-owned Europa Plus, which played mostly pop music. A
number of journalists who criticized government officials in the course of their work were subjected to
harrassment, threats, and acts of physical violence that appeared to be connected to their criticism of the
government or public officials. Reporters Without Borders (RWB) reported over 2008 that independent and
opposition journalists were under constant pressure because of their work. A monitoring study of televi-
sion broadcasting supported by the European Commission indicated that the country‘s television networks

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