Baku - The 16 Days Activism campaign to combat gender-based violence (GBV) launched by United Nations (UN) Office in Azerbaijan and development partners aims to contribute to prevention of and response to GBV in Azerbaijan by addressing combined impact of the armed conflict in and around Nagorno-Karabakh as well as the COVID-19 pandemic on women and girls. IOM Mission in Azerbaijan has joined the campaign within its Project on Counter Trafficking in Person, funded by USAID.

As part of the 16 Days of Activism, the UN Office in Azerbaijan has joined efforts with its development partners to support government's response and relief efforts by procurement and supply of about 400 dignity kits that include female hygiene items and COVID-19 related personal protective equipment to the displaced women. The dignity kits are delivered to women and girls temporarily residing in Aghdam and Terter districts. These kits will be used as entry points for providing the affected women and girls with the information on available GBV protection and support services including the national three-digit GBV hotline launched in the framework of partnership between the UN and the Government of Azerbaijan.

16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign that runs every year from 25 November, the International Day for the elimination of Gender Based Violence to 10 December, the International Human Rights Day. The campaign is traditionally co-held in Azerbaijan by the United Nations Office and the State Committee for Family, Women and Children’s Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan also carries out a policy of promoting women’s rights, and of increasing their participation in the political, economic and public life. To that aim, the National Action Plan to Combat Domestic Violence for 2020-2023 has been recently adopted.