Information for press

Coercion to children occurs everywhere- at schools, in families, in streets and in pre-trial prisons. Coersion does not only put their health in jeopardy but also their future generally. Children can not form themselves as personalities. According to the law “About Children`s Rights” which was adopted in 1998, in Azerbaijan, anyone under 18 is considered to be a child. The existing laws of the country– Constitution of Azerbaijan Republic, Labour Code, Code of Family and Marriage and the law “About Children`s Rights” regulates children`s rights in Azerbaijan. Although the laws prohibit and restrict labour activities of people of tender age and ban their being exploited and violated, but still children`s rights are hugely offended in many areas in Azerbaijan as it is done everywhere.

This includes exploitation of their labour, early marriage, sexual coercion and other coercion cases.

Acording to the researches that official bodies have made in this area, predominately children of families with low means work in places prohibited for them from tender age. In the first instance, it leads them to be deprived of childhood untimly and causes harm to their mental development, education, improvement of talent and capacity and even physical development, upbringing. Thus, children get mental trauma and encounter regress.

When it comes to employers, they are engaged in exploitation of children`s labor for different reasons. Wide usage of hand work, cheapening the labor of children and the way they are more easily managed encourages employers to use children`s labor. Owing to researches of state committee dealing with family, women, children’s` problems, untimely marriage is one of the most dangerous and grievous problems during the latest 10 years. Since this case enlarges divorces and negatively influences the extension of maladies of young girls, regulation of family attitudes, consequently, gradually the number of divorced families grows. Lately, the number of children born out of wedlock is more than 10%, which is a big indicator. Both parents and society, particularly school principals are guilty of this issue. Thus, although the minimum age limit for matrimony is 17 in family code, newly girls at their 13-14 years get married and this case is taken for granted. The inquest and researches indicate that in major schools located in western and southen parts of Azerbaijan, girls of 14-15 years old dont go to schools. Either they marry or their fiancés do not permit them to continue their education.The miserable thing is that, school authorities are aware of that and do not combat against it.

Whereas, outlook and experience is needed to comply with the mission of a head of a family. Familes under 18 are in big jeopardy to break. Premature marriage is also one of the factors which causes domestic violonce.

But as for sexual violence, the situation is more dangerous. Because, the fact that somebody has subjected to sexual violence can be concealed for years which may cause sorrowful consequences. On the groud of the researches, solely one child out of fifteen who have been sexually violated speakes about it to someone. They basically talk to their friends or their family members about it. Very seldom children attract the attention of police, social services or services of health. Unhappily, the cases of sexual abuse of children by their parents are increasing in our country. One can hear information concerning the growth of sexual abuse of children even in the regions, where social relations, family ties, religious and national traditions are strong. It is doleful enough that, such kind of information can be faced very often in press pages as well.

Besides above mentioned characteristics, receantly engaging children in sexual violation per Internet is increasing in number. We consider that, drawing a child into seeing pornography related to children is somehow equal to the fact of violation.

In Azerbaijan Republic the fact that children expose to violation in families, at schools, in boarding schools and approved schools is undeniable. Nevertheless, law enforcements and the law protecting organisations and ombudsman seriously fight in this regard, it is a pity that the prblems still remain.

The goal of holding the round table realised on the initiative of “Human Rights XXI century-Azerbaijan” Foundation on the topic of “Children exposed to violation in Azerbaijan and their rehabilitation problems” is to draw the attention of society to children`s violation problem, their rehabilitation and to the ways of solution. As a foundation, we consider that merely as a result of interaction it is possible to generate the protection of their rights duly who are our future.