Girl Power

After having been a member of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, not everyone has a considerate and helping disposition. A few decades ago, people in power enjoyed showing off their influence. Azerbaijan still contains a minority of people with outdated ideologies and a Soviet mentality. An illustration of this may be someone yelling at visitors who are snapping pictures close to a monument because they are perceived as disrespectful. Weak habits persist.

As is the case throughout the entire CIS/former USSR region, women are traditionally treated with the utmost respect in Azerbaijan. It is not sexual harassment or being condescending to women if female travelers do not react with surprise or outrage when their Azerbaijani male companions pay their restaurant tabs, open every door in front of them, or offer to assist them carry anything heavier than a handbag. Male travellers should understand that this is exactly the sort of behaviour that most Azerbaijani girls and women will expect from them, too.