Preventing domestic violence means holding perpetrators accountable and helping them change their behaviour. Programmes for perpetrators can help break the cycle of violence, as long as they put victim’s safety first and are part of a co-ordinated response involving all relevant institutions.
Azerbaijan has shown great interest in this approach. Over the past period, Azerbaijani institutions have taken part in a series of exchanges on how to work with perpetrators in line with the European Standards. One of these was the international conference “Toward Effective Perpetrator Programmes in Line with European Standards”, held in Budapest in June 2026 where an Azerbaijani delegation learnt from the experience of other European countries.
Building on this, a workshop “Strengthening Responses to Domestic Violence Perpetrators” organized in Baku within the joint EU and Council of Europe initiative brought together 35 representatives (28 women and 7 men) from the institutions that would be involved in running such programmes in Azerbaijan. This included the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs, the Milli Majlis, the Ministry of Justice and its Probation and Enforcement Services, the Prosecutor General’s Office, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as the Bar Association and civil society organisations.
Spain, which has years of experience running programmes for perpetrators as part of its wider response to violence against women and domestic violence, served as a practical example. Participants discussed Azerbaijan’s current legal and institutional framework, the roles, and responsibilities of different institutions in delivering perpetrator programmes, ways to ensure victims’ safety, and priority steps to inform future legislative recommendations. The authorities committed to follow up on the discussions by including provisions on work with perpetrators in the draft law currently being prepared, alongside other amendments aimed at strengthening the legal framework on combating domestic violence. Participants found the Spanish model particularly useful and appreciated the opportunity to exchange views with colleagues from other institutions. «Once the legislation is in place, our organisation will be ready to put the programme into practice,” participants noted.
This event is part of the Council of Europe and European Union joint programme "Partnership for Good Governance", co-funded by the Council of Europe and the European Union and implemented by the Council of Europe, in the framework of the project "Preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence in Azerbaijan."
