WOMAN-MAN RELATIONS It has already been eight years that Azerbaijan got its independence. In these years, our state has conducted reforms in numerous spheres of the social and political life. It has also entirely parted with the Soviet lifestyle and accepted the democratic system, which has been adopted by the majority of humanity. The first Constitution of the independent Republic adopted in 1995, both provides the citizens with new rights, and declares that all kinds of conditions and opportunities exist in the country in order to build pluralism and democracy. Laws specified in our constitution provide citizens of Azerbaijan with equal rights irrespective of their sex, language or religion. For the time being, even in the developed democratic countries of the world, "women's problems", "women's issues" sharply stand out and women establish their own organization in order to seek solutions of these new problems or solve them. Today there is State Committee on Women's Problems and there are nearly 30 women's non- governmental organizations functioning in our republic. As one of the leading powers of the society, women carry out crucial functions in the country, in a certain sense, by establishing their independent units, participating in social and moral, as well as political events. Currently there are numerous organizations, blocs, alliances and units developed that unite women of the world. If we look through their Charters, Programs for Action, we will see that their concerns are basically addressing violations of their rights, allowing discrimination in work place, family, as well as in sexual relations. The above- mentioned organizations mainly raise issues of the solution of similar problems in their actions. It is important to remark such a point: it is not accidental that UN has adopted Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. In this regard, UNDP "Gender in Development" Unit has been established in Azerbaijan in order to investigate, analyze, promote and teach women's and men's relations from the standpoint of women's rights. In the Republican scientific and practical workshop titled "Gender: a new stage of women's problems" held jointly by the Unit and the AS Institute of Philosophy and Law in February, 1998, proposal was made to conduct seminars and sociological surveys in various regions of the country to learn and investigate gender issues. With this purpose, "Gender in Development" Unit and "Center for Gender Problems" (affiliate of the AS Institute of Philosophy and Law) have conducted a sociological survey among different strata of the population in Baku, as well as in the regions of Zagatala, Masalli, Agsu and Goychay'. 400 persons of different ages and having various occupations have participated in this sociological survey. The survey group has referred to the respondents with questions for learning the problem. The noteworthy point is that the majority of the people whose opinions have been learned in the survey, have correctly realized the problem and its solutions, and substantially answered to the questions. At the same time, it is necessary to note that a great variety of opinions has been expressed, proposals have been made, sometimes solutions of the problem have been demonstrated in Baku and other regions of the Republic regarding the issue investigated. During the conduct of the sociological survey, all the rules have been followed; there has been no pressure or instruction to the respondents, all the opportunities have been provided for them to independently and freely express their personal views, opinions and proposals. The participators of the survey conducted were people not only from Baku city, but also from the villages of Yukhari Tala, Ali Bayramli, Bazar, Ashaghi Tala, Mughanli, Magov, Yukhari Chardakhlar, Sabunchu, Lahij, Gandekh, Gimir, Suvagli and Aliabad settlement of the Zagatala region, as well as the villages of the Kalva, Hajman, Khatman, Dilman, Arabushaghi of the Agsu region, villages of Potu, Shikhli, Mallishikhi, Ulashshikhli, Jayirli of the Goychay region, villages of Kohna Alvadi, Hasanli, Arkivan, Bambashi, Taza Alvadi and Bardigah settlement of the Masalli region. The sociological survey included 6 different questions, two of which were left open, and the other four were constructed to give ready responses, that is to express attitude, opinion, being formulated by the paragraphs covering various problems. In addition, there were special parts where respondents could express their additional views. The goal in conducting this sociological survey was the analysis of gender problems, which is of great actuality now, especially the issue of women's rights based on the reality in the Republic (features of the known post-Soviet period, national mentality, etc.). Let's note that the sociological survey has been conducted in different regions and among different strata, and therefore it reflects the variety of results. 500 forms-questionnaires were distributed among respondents. 70 forms out of them were distributed in the Masalli region and 40 of them were responded. In the Agsu-Goychay region, 88 out of 100 total were answered, in the "Women and Law" Conference, 44 out of 80 total were answered, in Baku 140 out of 150 total were answered. Hence, 400 out of 500 total forms-questionnaires were responded. These responses have been analyzed and expressed in percentage. It should also be noted that out of 400 total respondents, 261 were women and 139 were men (See Table 1). Table 1 Region Women Men Total Masalli 37 3 40 Agsu-Goychay 61 27 88 Zagatala 48 40 88 "Women and Law" 38 6 44 Conference Baku 77 63 140 In persons 261 199 400 In percentage 65.2% 34.8% 100% Here we would like you to pay attention to one aspect: more than one third of the people that have participated in the survey are men. Men constitute nearly half of the respondents in Baku and Zagatala. The sociological survey has been conducted in two trends: massive and individual. The survey was massively conducted among the participants of the scientific and practical seminars titled "Women for Tranquility" in the Masalli region and "Women and Law" Conference in Baku city. Its individual form took place in Zagatala, Agsu- Goychay regions, in various parts of our capital, as well. On February 12th, 1998, a corresponding sociological survey was conducted in the Conference titled "Gender: a new stage of women's problems" held jointly by the UNDP "Gender in Development" Unit and AS Institute of Law and Philosophy. The questionnaires were distributed among 100 people and 36 out of them have been responded. The results of the sociological survey have been published.1 The survey conducted has caused a great interest of the respondents. As a result of it, while answering, they have freely expressed their own opinions based on today's realities. Responses were drawing attention by being multi-faceted. The data acquired after the investigation of the survey outcomes revealed that the problems faced by the rural and urban inhabitants are mainly obvious traces of the specific peculiarities of the transition period. The first question of the survey was more connected with today's situation of Azerbaijan. To the question "What problems do women mostly face in the transition period?", there are six choices and there is a place left for other ideas in the form (See Table 2). According to the respondents, a modern Azeri family has many problems. And women therefore face problems of all kind. Unemployment is one of their biggest problems. In the survey conducted, the difficulties regarding provision of women with jobs are explained by several reasons: • lack of a work place suitable to her education: • restriction by her family or a husband in spite of her desire to • work: • low salary. See "Gender: a new stage of women's problems", Baku, 1998. Unemployment of a man, or a woman, or their getting scanty earnings instead of the work they do ruin psychological stability in the family. Interpreting the first question, above all it is necessary to mention that the elimination of unemployment problem in the Republic would also serve as a background for the eradication of other problems. The difficulty in the issues regarding provision with a job causes a tension in the families. The question asked in the paragraph on "Family- life issues" was answered by the most of the respondents, that is 22.2 %. Generally, the biggest problems of the transition period are revealed in family-life issues. Facts are very interesting themselves. Here, besides the problems of the transition period, characteristic features of the Soviet period (father or mother from another nation, loyalty to national customs and traditions) and men's domination on family-life issues until nowadays by the judgment that says "what I say is a law" become visible, too. At first sight, they may seem plain, but their psychological power of influence is actually great. Favorable conditions for the development of the traces of Feminization (in Latin, "femina" means "woman") come from it. And this negatively affects family-life issues and plays an important role in divorces. These traces are more visible in numerous regions; for example, in Zagatala 31.5%, in Masalli 24%. 10.8% of the participators of "Woman and Law" Conference, whose stakeholders were mainly educated people, have answered to this question. This figure is 22% in Agsu-Goychay, 22.5% in Baku city. Not only should we approach this issue as a family-life issue as a family-life problem, but also we should consider it in a broader range, that is from the standpoint of the ideology of family-personality-human, which has already been built up in the society. 13.1% of the respondents have noted that it is important to pay more attention to reinforce social protection.