CEO of the Azerbaijan National Anti-Doping Agency (AMADA) Shafag Huseynli was elected the Council of Europe’s Gender Equality Rapporteur. This decision was made on Wednesday at the 48th meeting of the Ad Hoc European Committee for the World Anti-Doping Agency (CAHAMA) in Strasbourg.

Gender Equality Rapporteurs are appointed among the members of the steering committees and other intergovernmental structures of the Council of Europe to promote gender mainstreaming in all policies and measures. Ms. Huseynli’s role is to provide impetus to the effective integration of a gender equality perspective in the work of CAHAMA. 

“The main goal of anti-doping organizations is to fight for fair sport and equal rights and opportunities for all athletes. It is impossible to achieve without gender balance. The problem of gender inequality is important for the world of sports too”, said Ms.Huseynli during the meeting.

In May 2019, Ms.Huseynli was elected the Vice-Chair of Council of Europe’s Ad hoc group on ensuring effective access of athletes to justice and fair trial. During this period, the Azerbaijani side took several measures and put forward a number of proposals aimed at protection of the rights of athletes during the application of anti-doping rules.

The Council of Europe’s Anti-Doping Convention was adopted in 1989, Azerbaijan signed the document in 2002.