From 6 to 9 May 2026, a delegation of the Azerbaijan Bar Association (ABA) participated in an international conference organized by the International Federation of Women in Legal Careers (FIFCJ) in İzmir, Türkiye.

Held at the İzmir Economics Congress Center, the conference was dedicated to the theme “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation on Women’s Access to Rights in an Era of Multiple Crises.”

Delegations from Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Mozambique, Brazil, Angola, Spain, Italy, Pakistan, and several other countries took part in the conference, exchanging views on a range of current legal issues.

The event commenced with opening remarks by Zübeyde Aksay, President of the Turkish Association of Women Lawyers, Sefa Yılmaz, President of the İzmir Bar Association, and Manoela Gonçalves Silva, President of FIFCJ.

As part of the opening session, Dilara Afrasiyabova, member of the Presidium of the Azerbaijan Bar Association and Chair of the Women Lawyers Alliance, delivered a presentation on the conference theme, highlighting the opportunities created by digitalization in the legal sector in Azerbaijan.

In addition, Gulshan Salmanova, member of the ABA Disciplinary Commission, spoke during a panel discussion titled “Artificial Intelligence and Women’s Access to Rights: Disability and Vulnerable Groups.” She provided insights into the impact of digital transformation on women legal professionals and outlined achievements in this area in Azerbaijan.

Panel sessions focused on a wide range of contemporary issues, including the impact of artificial intelligence technologies on legal systems, data security, algorithmic discrimination, migration, economic vulnerability, and the protection of human rights on digital platforms.

The conference concluded with the adoption of the İzmir Declaration, which emphasized that artificial intelligence systems are not gender-neutral and highlighted the importance of strengthening legal and institutional frameworks to address related challenges.

The declaration also noted that Azerbaijan’s experience demonstrates how the effective implementation of digitalization can contribute to a significant increase in the number of women legal professionals and stressed the importance of expanding international cooperation in this area.

The conference served as an important platform for strengthening international cooperation, expanding women’s access to rights, and advancing legal mechanisms in the digital age.