This year in Azerbaijan, the "8 March" rally was not dispersed
The feminist movement in Azerbaijan
On March 8th in Baku, amid mass arrests of journalists, the traditional “8 March March” event dedicated to International Women’s Day took place. Despite city authorities refusing permission for the rally and the ministry of internal affairs warning that any “unsanctioned action” would be dispersed, the feminist event proceeded without police intervention.
“March 8th – demonstrating our stance!”
This year, the event was named “March 8th – demonstrating our Stance!” and differed from previous years.
Typically, the event involved a march from Fountain Square to the monument of poetess and political figure Natavan Khurshudbanu. However, this time, it was decided to hold the event in the form of a picket in front of this monument.
As in previous years, feminist activists submitted an application to the city mayor’s office to hold the march. And as in previous years, the city administration responded that it “does not consider the event expedient” because the activists chose “an area in the city center frequented by a large number of tourists” for the march.
The ministry of internal affairs officially warned that “any unsanctioned action will be dispersed.”
On the morning of March 8th, the area where the picket was supposed to take place was surrounded by police. Patrol cars and officers were stationed at all four directions leading to the location of the event.
Although some feminists heading to the protest were detained on the way, they were later allowed to enter the area.
Contrary to the warning from the ministry of internal affairs, one of the police officers approached the gathered feminists in the area and stated that they would not be disturbed.
“We’re here to ensure your safety. You can proceed with your protest,” said an unidentified police officer to the women.
However, as soon as the protest began, police officers attempted to snatch placards from the activists’ hands. One of the organizers, Gulnara Mehtieva, was detained for a few minutes and then released.
After this intervention, there were no further disruptions to the course of the protest.
The activists read out their statements. They demanded fair and equal rights for women, spoke about the significant issue of early marriages, and criticized the authorities for their inability to prevent violence against women.
The participants of the rally did not overlook the journalists who are currently under arrest.
“On this March 8th, we express solidarity with journalists Sevinj Vagifgyzy, Nargiz Abasalimova, and Elnara Gasimova, who faithfully carried out their professional duties and were punished by the Azerbaijani government for doing so,” was announced at the rally.
Narmin Shahmarzade, one of the organizers, says that the police did not need to intervene in the rally this time because they were well-prepared in advance and prevented a larger number of participants from attending.
“In Azerbaijan, the meaning of this day has changed, turning it into a day of gifts”
In Azerbaijan, March 8th has been celebrated since Soviet times. Feminist activists say that although this day is dedicated to the struggle for women’s rights and equality, it is mainly marked by buying women gifts such as flowers, perfumes, and so on.
For many years, the history and essence of March 8th were ignored, and what was said about women’s rights went unheard by many, they say.
In March 2019, Azerbaijani feminists decided to change this. They tried to remind people that this day is not only a holiday but also a protest, by organizing the first “8 March” in the center of Baku.
Since then, feminist activists chanting slogans against femicide, domestic violence, and gender discrimination at the “March 8th March,” which takes place every year, have been trying to draw attention to women’s rights violations.
Unlike today, previously, the police intervened in the rally and forcefully dispersed the protesters.
“Poster Day”
Feminists usually begin preparations for the “8th March” with a “Poster Day” several days before. On this day, feminists gather together to create posters for the rally and brainstorm slogans to chant.
This time, the “Poster Day” was organized on March 5th. The prepared posters feature slogans such as “Today we’re still rebelling, we insist on rights,” and “We don’t need a family that kills, we don’t need a state that kills.”
The feminists paid special attention to the women journalists who are currently imprisoned. They showed support for the arrested journalists with slogans like “The authorities have taken the money, paid the bills, and bought the media” and “We are with you, both on the square and in prison.”
“We want to declare that we are still standing strong with our demands against the severe repression happening in the country. We are against the sharply deteriorating political situation and have named our rally this year ‘We’re taking a stand’.
“This year, our demands are more extensive.
Traditional issues remain in focus: violence against women, femicides, discrimination against homosexuals, hate crimes, environmental issues, and their impact on women.
But we also emphasize the invisible problems faced by women affected by war, challenges encountered by women with disabilities, single mothers.
In short, our demands and the topics we have decided to address this year are broader than usual,” says feminist activist Gulnara Mehtieva.
Feminist Narmin Shahmarzade emphasizes that “the main goal of the rally is to show society that it’s not about celebrating this day, but about addressing the oppression of women“.
“We are trying to be the voice of women as a whole. Each of us began feminist activism with our own story. Everyone came into this process with different personal life histories,” says Narmin Shahmarzade.
