AZE.US
Azerbaijan could face serious demographic consequences in the next 20-25 years if the number of girls continues to decline in the country’s birth ratio, State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs Chair Bahar Muradova has warned.
Speaking in an interview with ATV, Muradova said sex-selective abortions remain one of the most alarming demographic problems facing Azerbaijan.
According to her, in 2025 there were 113 boys born for every 100 girls in Azerbaijan. Under normal demographic conditions, the ratio should be around 105-106 boys for every 100 girls.
“Unfortunately, we are among the leading countries in the world in this area,” Muradova said, referring to the scale of the imbalance.
She said the State Committee has submitted a legislative initiative aimed at addressing the problem. One of the proposed measures would ban doctors from revealing the sex of an unborn child to parents.
Muradova said the proposed legislation also includes responsibility for cases in which a pregnancy is terminated because the unborn child is a girl.
According to her, doctors who take part in such actions at the request of one of the parents should face serious penalties.
Muradova also addressed domestic violence, saying 433 protection orders were issued in Azerbaijan in 2025. Of those, 402 were issued to women and 31 to men.
She said Azerbaijan needs more rehabilitation programs and centers not only for victims of violence, but also for perpetrators.
“By protecting the victim alone, we cannot always stop the person causing harm,” Muradova said. “That is why programs should focus more on this issue as well.”
She noted that after a protection order expires, victims often return to the same environment and again face pressure. In some cases, she said, this leads to repeated violence and even fatal outcomes.
Muradova also pointed to the problem of girls being kept away from education in some regions of Azerbaijan.
According to her, some families still believe that investing in a girl’s education is less important than investing in a boy’s future. She called this another example of gender-based discrimination.
Muradova urged parents to make sure their daughters receive a proper education.
“Educate your daughters. Encourage them to study well both at school and at university,” she said.
AZE.US