to include issues such as queer theory, race, and
ethnicity. There seems to be a discrepancy in com-
munication and activities between urban centers
and those that are less urban, not to mention the
weakness of links between women within and out-
side academia. Particular issues related to Turkey
need to be developed rather than borrowing para-
digms from abroad. The boom in enrollment in
women’s studies centers and programs faces a
decline since there are limited work options after
graduation.azerbaijan
In Azerbaijan, the establishment of women’s
studies aimed to explain why women have always
been degraded by men in the economic, social, deci-
sion-making, and human development spheres. A
sub-regional conference entitled “Women’s Rights
are Human Rights: Women and Military Conflict”
was held in Baku with the participation of govern-
mental and non-governmental representatives from
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey,
Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan on 18–20
May 1998 (Mustafayev 2001, 8). The Gender and
Human Rights Research Unit (GIHAB) began its
activities with the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) Gender Project in 1998 with a
conference on gender issues, mainly on education,
human rights, and women’s refugee problems
(GIHAB 2002, 5).
Issues related to gender education were initiated
by the UNDP Gender Project and, at the end of
1998, activities were implemented in this direction
as mentioned in the plan for action of the project’s
second phase. At the same time, the Open Society
Institute-Soros Foundation and the Central Euro-
pean University based in Budapest started certain
projects in higher educational institutions in Azer-
baijan concerned with gender education.
There are 42 state and 19 private higher educa-
tional institutions in the Azerbaijan Republic.
Western University, Azerbaijan Public Adminis-
tration Academy, Baku State University, Khazar
University, and Baku Slavic Languages University
offer courses on gender.
Gender courses on political science, philosophy,
psychology, sociology, culture, legal aspects, Azeri
history, and economics are open to all departments
of the Western University. In addition to developing
syllabi, the Gender Studies Center has also directed
academic activities of teachers and masters and
bachelors program students, and made proposals
regarding the incorporation of gender and peace-
related topics in course and diploma theses.784 women’s studies programs in muslim countries
Special focus was placed on development of
materials for the national scientific conference
organized on 23 December 2000, “Integration of
Gender Theory into Social and Humanitarian
Sciences,” where 50 scholars, researchers, teachers,
masters students, and leaders and specialists from
gender centers participated.
At the Baku State University, gender courses are
given in the psychology, sociology, and philosophy
departments and are integrated into different sub-
jects, such as ancient history, international relations,
and English. Baku Slavic Languages University places
more emphasis on eliminating the gender stereo-
types apparent in textbooks and aims to develop
focused gender pedagogy.
The Women’s Studies Center at Khazar Uni-
versity was established in 1991, aiming at protect-
ing and promoting women’s rights. It maintains
close collaboration with Purdue University and
implements joint programs. It is a member of the
Global Sisterhood Institute. In 1997, the center set
broader goals and reinforced studies on women’s
issues. It has invited scholars from the United
States, Western Europe, Turkey, Pakistan, Israel,
and Norway who run sessions on gender. Students
at the Women’s Studies Center have maintained
close relationships with women refugees and inter-
nationally displaced persons, and encouraged them
to support the peace-building process in Southern
Caucasus (Khazar University 2001–3, 125).kyrgyzstan
The Department of Equal Rights in Kyrgyz-
Russian Slavonic University has a special gender
studies course, taught for the past five years. Kyrgyz
National University, Bishkek Humanitarian Univer-
sity, Osh State University, and Kyrgyz Pedagogical
University have special courses on gender within the
sociology, history, and pedagogy departments.
Before proposing the new gender studies program
for implementation in 2003/4, the National Council
on Gender Development in cooperation with UNDP,
UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), and SFK
(Soros Foundation Kyrgyzstan) representatives pro-
vided two round tables on gender studies perspec-
tives in Kyrgyzstan. Although gender courses have
been taught in various departments, the necessity for
professional development by increasing knowledge
about gender theory and methodology was stressed.
Participants at educational events will receive the
opportunity to prepare the syllabus and approve it in
their universities (Shishkereva 2003).Bibliography
N. Abadan-Unat (ed.), Türk toplumunda kadın, Istanbul
1979.