Baku - On 14 December 2022, Chargé d’Affaires Hugo Guevara from the USA Embassy and Vladimir Gjorgjiev, Chief of Mission for IOM Azerbaijan visited NGO TAMAS Public Union located in Ganja city. They met Sudaba Mammadova and Kubra Alekberova, directors of Public Union which provides critical services and safety and protection for victims of trafficking and gender-based victims (GBV). The guests were informed about the efforts taken by the NGO in cooperation to combat these crimes and the services provided to victims and potential victims of trafficking and GBV.

Then the representatives of IOM Azerbaijan paid a visit to a newly opened Pilates studio facility which was established within the USAID-funded project “Counter-trafficking in persons activity”. Beneficiaries of the Pilates studio have completed small business trainings organized by IOM Azerbaijan and they also will receive small grants to start up their business plans.

The project aims to provide beneficiaries from vulnerable and marginalized communities with in-kind support enabling them to start their own small businesses and empower them and increase their resilience.

In general, USAID’s Countering Trafficking in Persons Activity, implemented by IOM since 2015, assists the Government of Azerbaijan and NGOs to further improve Azerbaijan's effectiveness in preventing and combating trafficking in persons and forced labor as well as addressing gender-based violence. This includes technical and financial support to civil society organizations and shelters that assist potential and actual victims of trafficking and forced labor.