AZE.US
Some restaurants in Azerbaijan are facing renewed criticism over a familiar practice: refusing entry to men who arrive alone.
The issue often appears around venues that describe themselves as “family restaurants.” In practice, that label is sometimes used to keep out single male customers, even when they are willing to pay for the same service as everyone else.
Lawyers say the argument does not stand up legally.
Attorney Turan Abdullazade told Demokrat.az that restaurants are public catering establishments and must provide services on equal terms. He said a customer cannot be turned away simply because he is a man and came without a family member or female companion.
Abdullazade pointed to Article 25 of Azerbaijan’s Constitution, which guarantees equal rights and freedoms regardless of sex. The same provision bars restrictions on human rights and freedoms based on gender.
The phrase “family restaurant,” he said, is not a legal category. It may describe the image or target audience of a business, but it does not give the owner the right to discriminate between customers.
That means a restaurant cannot create its own private rule banning single men if the venue is otherwise open to the public.
Abdullazade said the same principle exists in European law. A directive adopted in 2004 requires equal treatment between men and women in access to goods and services. In countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom and France, businesses can face legal responsibility and fines for this type of discrimination.
The lawyer said refusing service or entry based on gender may be treated as a rights violation. Customers who face such treatment can file complaints with the relevant authorities.
For restaurant owners, the message is fairly simple: a “family” concept does not override the law. If a venue is open to the public, it cannot decide at the door that a man on his own is not welcome.
AZE.US