More than 6,500 small family businesses were established for women under the self-employment program over the past year.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that increasing women's access to the labor market and expanding employment opportunities is one of the primary directions of the state employment policy implemented in Azerbaijan.
As a continuation of measures taken by the State Employment Agency under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, 69,500 women were provided with suitable jobs in 2025. The self-employment program, which holds significant socio-economic importance, has created opportunities for unemployed and job-seeking women to enter small entrepreneurship. Within the last year alone, assets were provided to more than 6,500 women to establish small-scale family enterprises.
Another key active employment initiative involves involving unemployed individuals in vocational training courses tailored to labor market demands. Last year, the State Employment Agency involved 18,400 individuals in vocational training, of whom 11,800 were women. These programs aim to bridge the skills gap and ensure that the female workforce in Azerbaijan remains competitive in a rapidly evolving economy.
Recent improvements in Azerbaijan's labor legislation regarding female labor have focused on enhancing employment prospects. During the 2025 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, the reforms implemented in Azerbaijan in this field were highlighted as a positive example. Furthermore, in the World Bank's "Women, Business and the Law 2024" report, Azerbaijan increased its index from 78.8 to 85, climbing 35 places to rank 69th among 190 countries, up from its previous position of 104th.
