feminism

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Opinion | In Azerbaijan sex is a weapon

•5 min read

Narmin Shahmarzadeh was targeted by hackers who stole personal information and intimate materials, which they then published online. Now, exclusively for OC Media, she writes why she thinks the Azerbaijani authorities are behind the hack, and why sexual blackmail is becoming a more common tactic in Azerbaijan. My Facebook profile was hacked on 9 March, one day after I participated in the International Women’s Day protest in Baku. Intimate conversations, photos, and voice recordings belonging

Armenia

Opinion | Feminism in the South Caucasus cannot succeed without queer rights

by Ramil Zamanov

•3 min read

Unless feminism in the South Caucasus becomes more inclusive of queer rights and the rights of those who suffer from many other oppressions it will remain utterly impotent to achieve even its own modest aims. Same-sex relationships have been decriminalised in Azerbaijan and Georgia since 2000 and in Armenia since 2003. This was an important step towards developing queer inclusivity and getting access to the Council of Europe for all three countries. Today, over a decade-and-a-half later, the

Armenia

Opinion | Ilham Aliyev’s anti-Europe speech foreshadows big changes in Azerbaijan

by Bahruz Samadov

•6 min read

A recent speech by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev shows a shift towards a new anti-European conservatism and an attempt to cultivate a new base amongst Azerbaijani youth against the background of dwindling popular support and an ideological vacuum. A 26 November speech delivered by Aliyev on the occasion of the centenary of Baku State University represents a sharp break from the usual content of his speeches in its ideological content. Indeed, it may very well inaugurate a new evo

Ali Karimli

Opinion | Azerbaijan’s traditional opposition needs to appeal to the young

by Bahruz Samadov

•5 min read

Recent protests in Azerbaijan suggest that, after a long period of stagnation, the nature of protest is changing. However, for a radical transformation of the political landscape to take place, the country’s traditional opposition parties need to reach out and appeal to the more progressive youth movements. On 19 October, thousands of Azerbaijanis took to the streets of central Baku in the largest protest since 2013. The protest was organised by the National Council of Democratic Forces,

Armenia

To change the system from within or without — the dilemma for feminists in ‘New Armenia’

by Knar Khudoyan

•7 min read

As more and more women choose to enter politics in revolutionary ‘New Armenia’, a debate is raging within the country’s feminist circles: how best to transform Armenia’s patriarchal systems — from within or without. ‘It was the methods of the Velvet Revolution, i.e. de-centralisation, horizontality, that allowed women to participate. You didn’t have to push women to take a political action — it happened naturally. Because the street was not hierarchic, if not anarchic.’ This is how femin

bride kidnapping

Georgia’s feminists face an uphill battle for equality

by Dato Parulava

•7 min read

Despite a rise in the awareness of women’s rights in Georgia, feminist activists have found themselves up against a deeply-rooted culture that hinders further progress. Early marriages, a lack of recognition of the need for more female decision-makers, and impassivity towards women’s issues in the male-dominated parliament create a compounding, socially-driven force that stands on the way of gender equality. Natia was only 17 when she became a bride. A 25-year-old man kidnapped her twice

feminism

Women’s activists rally against sexual violence in Tbilisi

by OC Media

•2 min read

Dozens of women’s rights activists gathered in Tbilisi on 10 December to rally against sexual violence and harassment. Georgian group the Independent Group of Feminists (IGF) organised the event, urging women to ‘reclaim the night’. The demonstration started at the pedestrian underpasses under Tbilisi’s Heroes’ Square, which have been described by many as unsafe for women. [Read on OC Media: [Voice from Georgia] Tbilisi in denial — the seductive victims of sexual assault] The underpas