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DR. AYSEL VAZIROVA, PhD
Consultant, Gender and Development
6106 E 82nd
Pl, Apt. 5 Mob: +1 (918) 720-2818
Tulsa, OK, USA Email: AyselVazir@yahoo.com

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SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS
 More than 11 years of professional experience in the area of gender and development, gender
mainstreaming and combating violence against women. 7 years of experience in corporate sector:
exhibition and conference organizers.
 Working with UN agencies in MENA region, Eastern Europe and Central Asia
 Developed successful partnerships with national governments, the donor community (US State
Department, USAID, EU), local NGOs, expert community, informal groups and media in the parts of
Central Asia, Middle East and Eastern Europe.
 Authored and edited UN reports and assessments addressing gender and women’s rights.
 Analyzed SGBV trends, service provision and coordination of efforts targeting refugee and IDP
communities in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Azerbaijan and Turkey
 Developed the Concept Model for building coordinated multi-agency response to Gender Based
Violence included in the National Priority Programs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
 Managed multi-million dollar assistance programs: Islam and Democracy (Eurasia Foundation) and
Combating Violence Against Women (UNFPA). Supervised, consulted for and/or managed
countrywide surveys (Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan).
 Designed and managed training programs on gender issues for target groups (youth, refugees, rural
women), sectors (healthcare, police, judicial system) and public institutions (national legislative
bodies, government ministries, civil service commissions).
 Designed and implemented development initiatives, legislative reviews, awareness campaigns,
radio and TV shows, documentary and PTA production, conferences, workshops and public
discussions. Developed an analytical and training package that was included in UNDP’s best global
practices.
 Consulted for the US State Department on Islam and democracy in the post-Soviet context.
 Member of American Evaluators Association, trained in program and impact evaluation. Conducted
real-time evaluation of humanitarian response to Syrian crisis (UNFPA-UNHCR, 2015).

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CONSULTING,MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE inthe areaof
gender equality, women’s rights and good governance
Consultant, GBV Assessment in Iraq’s conflict affected areas, UNFPA Iraq
April, 2016-present
Consultant, Gender and Women’s Empowerment, Rural Women’s empowerment project,
UNDP Azerbaijan
May 2016 - present
Consultant, Gender Sensitive Organizational Analysis of ASAN public service, Azerbaijan,
UNDP
May 2016 – present
International Gender Consultant, First country-wide survey on Violence against Women in
Turkmenistan, UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), Turkmenistan
October, 2014–November, 2015
International GenderConsultant,GenderevaluationofthenationalConstitutionandtechnical
support to the Parliament of Turkmenistan
April, 2015–May, 2015
International Evaluator,Regional evaluationoftheimplementationofglobal GBV Guidelines
in the coordinated humanitarian response to Syrian crisis (region: Jordan, Lebanon, Northern
Iraq, Turkey/Syria crossborder activities), UNFPA, UNHCR
May, 2015–September, 2015
International Consultant, Promotingrural women’sparticipation in economic and social life
(Phase II), UNDP Azerbaijan
December, 2013–October 2014
International Impact Evaluator, Oxfam International (UK), SMART Project, Gender impact
evaluation of the SMART Project
October, 2013
International Consultant/Author, Population Situation Analysis Report, UNDP, Azerbaijan
March, 2013–June, 2013
Author, The Gender Perspective in Human Development, chapter in the textbook on Human
Development, UNDP Azerbaijan
August, 2012–October, 2012
International Consultant on Coordinated Community Response to Gender Based Violence,
UNFPA, Afghanistan
January, 2012–May 2012
International GenderConsultant,Promotingrural women’sparticipationintheeconomic
and social life,UNDPAzerbaijan

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September 2011–April, 2012
International Consultant on Coordinated Community Response to Gender Based Violence,
UNFPA, Afghanistan
August, 2011–January, 2012
International GenderConsultant,GenderinEducation – supportingGenderStudiesCenterin
AzerbaijanStatePedagogical University,UNDPAzerbaijan
September 2011–March, 2012
International GenderConsultant,MainstreamingGenderinto the Civil Service,UNDP/UNFPA
Azerbaijan
August–December, 2010
GenderConsultant/Contributor,AssessmentofMental Healthof InternallyDisplacedPeople
in Azerbaijan, World Health Organization
April–May, 2010
Author and editor of National Report on Violence Against Women, UNFPA, Azerbaijan
August 2009–Feb 2010
National Project Coordinator, Combating Gender Based Violence in the South Caucasus,
UNFPA - Azerbaijan
May 2008–April 2009
Program Manager, Islam in a Democratic Azerbaijan Program, Eurasia Foundation –
Azerbaijan
May 2007–September 30, 2007
AuthorandEditor,“GenderAttitudesin Azerbaijan:TrendsandChallenges”,National Human
Development Report, UNDP
September 2005–March 2007
Consultant on program development, Islam in a Democratic Azerbaijan Program, Eurasia
Foundation—Azerbaijan
April 2007–May 2007
Gender Researcher, EuropeanStability Initiative (ESI), independent non-profit research and
policy institute (Berlin-Istanbul), Gender and power in Azerbaijan Project
January 2008–October 2008
Consultant on program proposal, Islam in a Democratic Azerbaijan Program, Eurasia
Foundation
July 2006–August 2006
Author, “Muslim women’s activism in contemporary Azerbaijan: civil religion versus civil
society”, research for Heinrich Boll Foundation (South Caucasus)
Dec 2004–Dec 2005

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2003-2008, Consultant on gender and Islam, various international organizations and US State
Department:
PH International, Religious dialogue and women’s leadership; Internews, Women’s rights in Islam,
for TV series on gender relations and democracy; US State Department and US Embassy in Baku
“Women’s rights in Islam”, “Muslim women: civil activism, gender and Islam”; Resource Consultant
on cultural sensitivity for relocated staff in Baku, Azerbaijan, Prudential Relocation International
Group
1996-2001,Officemanager/CountryRepresentative(Azerbaijan),SpearheadExhibitionsLtd
(UK): Organizer of majorinternational exhibitions and conferences,including Baku Oiland Gas (over
400 exhibitors, 40000 visitors annually).
EDUCATION
 alumna of the OxfordCenter forIslamic Studies, OxfordUniversity (UK) and Central Eurasian
and Uralic Studies Center, Indiana University, Bloomington (USA).
 MA in Middle Eastern Studies from Baku State University
 PhDin Philosophy (withfocus on Islamic Studies), from the Academy of Sciences, Azerbaijan
(2005).
Trainedin:
 Gender and Family in the Middle East and Central Asia and Nations and Modernity in
Central Asia (Indiana University)
 Surveying Intimate Partner Violence: Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods (WHO,
UNFPA)
 Survey organization and ethics of studying Violence Against Women (WHO,UNFPA)
 Coordinated Response to Gender Based Violence, Duluth Model (DIAP,Duluth, Minnesota,
USA)
 Social NetworkAnalysis (Stanford University,USA)
 Organizational Analysis (PrincetonUniversity, USA)
 Program and Impact Evaluation(UNFPA,Eurasia Foundation)
 Gender-sensitive budgeting (UNFPA)
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
 Guidelines for incorporation of gender equality agenda in the implementation of the
Sustainable Development Goals in Europe and Central Asia, UNRegional, Europe and Central
Asia, 2017 (getting ready for publication)
 GBV Assessment in Conflict-affectedgovernorates of Iraq, UNFPA,2016 (The Assessment of
gender-based violence (GBV) in eight conflict affected governorates of Iraq),
http://iraq.unfpa.org/publications/gbv-assessment-conflict-affected-governorates-iraq
 Gender in Changing Society, chapter in Population Situation Analysis Report, Azerbaijan,
UNDP, UNFPA 2016, http://eeca.unfpa.org/publications/population-situation-analysis-
azerbaijan

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 The Assessment of the incorporation of GBV Guidelines in Syrian Humanitarian Response
(Middle East region), UNFPA-UNHCR, 2015 http://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-
republic/evaluation-implementation-2005-iasc-guidelines-gender-based-violence
 GenderPerspectivein HumanDevelopment,bookchapter – in:Human Development:textbook,
UNDP, 2013;
 FreedomandBondage:the discussionof hijab in Azerbaijan – in: V. Voronkov, S. Khutsishvili,
J.Horan edited, Changing Identities: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Heinrich BoellFoundation,
2011
 Gender Equality in Civil Service: practical application and mainstreaming policy Training
Package, 2011 UNDP/UNFPA Azerbaijan;
 National Report on Violence against Women in Azerbaijan, UNFPA- State Committee on
Family, Women and Children’s Affairs, 2011;
 GenderAttitudesin Azerbaijan:Trends andChallenges, National Human Development Report
2007, UNDP, 2007, http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/gender-attitudes-azerbaijan
 Hijabin a Baku City: ModernDiscussiononUnity, FreedomandHeadscarves inAzerbaijan,(in
Russian) – in “South Caucasus: Spaces. Histories. People.” Collection of papers, Heinrich Boll
Foundation (2006);
SELECT CONFERENCE PAPERS
Vazirova, Aysel. "You Should Try Not to Be so Angry”: Women, Precarity, and the Narrative of
'Unresolved Conflict." Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Women's Studies
Association, Milwaukee, WI, November 13, 2015.
Vazirova, Aysel. "Fat on Fridays and veiled on Saturdays: exploring some limitations of identity
politics and human rights discourse." Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National
Women's Studies Association, Atlanta, GA, November 10, 2011
SKILLS
Trained in Duluth Model of Coordinated Community Response, Domestic Abuse Intervention
Program (DAIP)
Trained in Rights-based programming, UNFPA
Trained in Duluth Model: Creating the Process of Change for Men who Batter, DAIP
Trained in gender responsive budgeting, UNFPA
Trained in WHO methodology of Combating Gender Based Violence: study organization,
questionnaire, sample design, fieldwork and data analysis
Trained in Program Monitoring and Evaluation, Eurasia Foundation
Trained in Social Network Analysis, Michigan University, USA
Computer Skills: Microsoft Word, EXCEL, PowerPoint, Outlook ACT, SPSS
Languages:English(fluent),Russian(fluent),Azerbaijani(fluent),Turkish(advanced),Arabic
(limited), Farsi (beginner).
MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

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 Member of the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA, USA).
 Association of Women in Development (AWID)
 Member of the American Evaluators Association
 Member of American Women Voters League