Girls' Education in Rural Azerbaijan: A Case Study of the Astara Region (Research Brief)

The system of education in Azerbaijan has witnessed a series of reforms. My project analyzes the extent to which these reforms have impacted school education. I have investigated the number of children, especially girls, who drop out from schools, what the reasons are for dropping out, what types of professional education are most popular, and how many of women pursue professional careers after school. As a special topic, I studied the impact of traditional religious and cultural values on women’s education in Azerbaijan. Among other things, I focus on the impact of early marriages on women’s education, as well as negative and positive effects of education on women’s ability to get married.

Tamara Sivertseva, of the University of Chicago, was a 2011-2012 Embassy Policy Specialist (EPS) fellow.