Focus on Azerbaijan

While the impact of war and militarism is often studied in relation to women, this article looks at the relationship of toxic masculinity, militarism, homonationalism, and queerness in Azerbaijan in the context of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.

The feminist movement and the LGBTQ+ community represent marginalized populations in Azerbaijan - they experience social, political, and economic discrimination and exclusion. Very recently, the visibility of these groups in Azerbaijan has increased.

Ramil writes about the urgency of intersectionality by studying the narratives of Azerbaijani LGBTQI+/queer individuals who have been facing multi-layered discrimination in Azerbaijan.

Ali Malikov shares stories of queer teachers in urban and rural Azerbaijan and clearly shows the challenges they face on a daily basis, both in their professional and personal lives.

The call is open for everyone - participants of all genders, professions, and professional levels, such as students, researchers, cultural professionals, fiction writers, poets, illustrators, photographers, etc. 

Vusala Hajiyeva, a transgender woman from Baku, Azerbaijan, tells about the isolation, which did not start during the covid-19 pandemic. She shares her personal story describing the multifaceted difficulties that transgender people face in her country, both on an individual and systemic level. Vusala tells stories of failure, hatred, love, and hope.

This article takes a story-based approach by talking to women engaged in informal economy and describes effectiveness and inclusivity of support mechanisms.

In Azerbaijan, antagonism and phobia against feminism have been so extensive that adopting a feminist identity and establishing feminist initiatives and organizations were incredibly slow-moving.

"There is a house in Baku where cis and trans women live together and support each other. They also don't allow any transphobic people or anyone who could potentially be a threat to move in."