Hasanly of Masally region in southern Azerbaijan joined USAID's Community Development Activity (CDA) program, implemented by CHF International, in mid-2006. After trainings conducted by CHF, the Hasanly Community Development Council (CDC) carried out needs assessment and community surveys for road rehabilitation and electric transformer projects. At that time, community gender-related matters were not at the forefront of identified issues.

In March 2007, Kristine Herman, a CHF-sponsored gender specialist visited 14 villages in southern Azerbaijan to observe the gender situation and make recommendations to enhance gender-participation. After working with Ms. Herman, the Hasanly CDC identified women's issues as one of their highest priority responsibilities. They decided to start by addressing the problem of girls' low attendance in school.

First, the CDC arranged a meeting for parents and teachers to discuss low attendance and ways to deal with this problem. In this meeting, the community discussed some causes of low attendance in grades 5-11, such as financial difficulties and lack of parent-teacher interaction. In particular, there was extensive dialogue about the lack of emphasis on the importance of girls' education. Because there is a cultural notion that the girls will become housewives, secondary education has not been encouraged for girls.

The mobilization continued - with concerned parents, teachers, and active community members discussing the issue in public venues and visiting families door-to-door, culminating in another community-wide meeting. One of the parents affirmed that, “after talking with CDC members, parents, and teachers, I now understand that for the sake of my daughter's future, it is more important for her to go to school instead of working out in the field during school time.”

Two weeks into their awareness campaign, girls' school attendance has reportedly increased from about 46% to 76%. Mr. Vezir Huseynov, School Director and CDC leader related the mobilization results to an Azeri proverb that says that “the strength of a unified community is stronger than a river torrent.” With this promising outcome, the community is planning to hold regular forums for parents and teachers to discuss school issues. 

 
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