H.E. Prof. Dr. Sahiba Gafarova
Speaker of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan
And the President of the 20th PUIC Conference
Born in 1955 in the town of Shamkir, Her Excellency Mrs. Sahiba Gafarova is regarded as one of the country’s most prominent political and academic figures. Elected Speaker of the Milli Majlis of the 6th convocation on 10 March 2020 and of the 7th convocation on 23 September 2024.
Graduated with first-class honours the Russian Language and Literature Faculty of the Azerbaijan Paedagogical Institute of Russian Language and Literature, and the English Philology Faculty of the Azerbaijan University of Languages. PhD Philology, Professor. Distinguished Teacher. Decorated with the ‘Sharaf’ Order and the Medal of Honour of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Was honoured with the ‘Unity’ Order and the Medal ‘For Strengthening Parliamentary Co-operation’ of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the ‘Druzhba’ Order of Russia, the State Order ‘For the Contribution to Development of Co-operation’ of Turkmenistan as well as the Honorary Diploma and Medal of the University of Warsaw. Honorary Professor of the L.N. Gumilev Eurasian National University of Kazakhstan and the Belarusian State University. Authored various textbooks and educational manuals, monographs and dozens of scientific articles. Proficient in Turkish, English and Russian.
Secondary school teacher in the town of Shamkir during 1978–1981. During 1981–2020, a laboratory assistant, teacher, senior teacher, Associate Professor, Professor and Head of the European Languages Department as well as Prorector for International Relations (pro bono during 2010–2020) at the Baku Slavic University. Also, Dean of the Western Languages Faculty at the Western University during 2000–2004.
Worked at the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Michigan via the U.S. State Department’s Fulbright Scholarship programme in 2006. Member of the New Azerbaijan Party. Member of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan of the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th convocations. Deputy Chairwoman of the Milli Majlis Family, Women’s and Children’s Affairs Committee in 2015–2020.
Member of the Delegation of Azerbaijan to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe during 2010–2020 and, within the same entity, Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Racism and Xenophobia in 2012-2014, the Gender Equality Subcommittee in 2014–2015, Political Co-ordinator of the ‘Women Free from Violence’ Network and General Rapporteur on combatting violence against women in 2015–2017, and Chairwoman of the PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons and Member of the PACE Bureau in 2016–2018. Head of the Azerbaijani Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly in 2018- 2020.
Head of the Delegations of Azerbaijan to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement, the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States, the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation currently.
Chairwoman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation. Married, with 2 children.