AZERBAIJAN'S NOMINATION FOR THE SECRETARY OF

UNCLAS BAKU 000199 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR G/IWI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KWMN PHUM PREL KPAO AJ SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN'S NOMINATION FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S AWARD FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF COURAGE REF: STATE 12871 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. ¶1. (U) We are pleased to nominate Novella Jafarova to be considered for the Secretary of State's Award for International Women of Courage (per reftel). Ms. Jafarova is a leading human rights activist with a nationwide network of women's advocacy centers, who has shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating women's rights and advancing democracy. In 1989, Ms. Jafarova founded the Association for the Protection of Women's Rights in Azerbaijan (APWRA),which has become one of Azerbaijan's strongest and most reputable NGOs. APWRA has an estimated 20,000 members, approximately 1,000 of them active, and it cooperates with a wide range of NGOs. Since 1989, through APWRA, Ms. Jafarova has organized election monitoring; provided free legal assistance to Azerbaijani citizens; monitored cases of political prisoners and advocated on their behalf; conducted human rights and religious tolerance training; and provided leadership training to women. She is a member of the Human Rights Monitoring Group, and has worked on joint regional projects with civil society in Armenia and Georgia, in spite of tensions caused by regional conflicts. ¶2. (SBU) Ms. Jafarova has frequently challenged the establishment in a difficult political environment. She has been detained a number of times for advocating her beliefs. Ms. Jafarofova is also one of few women active in Azerbaijan's male-dominated political scene. In fact, she often publicly uses the masculine version of her last name. Through her work and by her example, Ms. Jafarova encourages women to pursue political, economic, and social advancement in this secular, Shiite Muslim, geopolitically sensitive country. On a daily basis, Ms. Jafarova demonstrates her commitment to securing a democratic future for Azerbaijan. ¶3. (SBU) Ms. Jafarova has been an instrumental Embassy contact, frequently providing rapid and accurate information on human rights issues as well as insightful analysis on Azerbaijan's complex political environment. She has worked with a wide range of donor organizations, including the U.S., British, and Norwegian Embassies, the Council of Europe, UNIFEM and OXFAM. Ms. Jafarova has received international recognition for human rights work, including the Marshall Award for Protection of Human Rights and Democracy, which she was awarded in 1998. ¶4. (U) Novella Jafarova is the Founder and Chairwoman of the Association for the Protection of Women's Rights in Azerbaijan. Ms. Jafarova was born on March 3, 1941. She can be reached by telephone at 994-12-497-2108 (office), 994-12-32-2708 (home) or 994-850-320-0113 (mobile); or by e-mail at n jafarova@azeri.com. ¶5. (U) The Embassy's point of contact for women's issues is Political Officer Rebecca Naslund, who can be reached by telephone at 994-12-498-0335, extension 4210, or by e-mail at NaslundRJ@state.gov. DERSE