Famous Azerbaijani Women

Mehriban Aliyeva is an Azerbaijani physician and politician. She is the current Vice President of Azerbaijan. The wife of Ilham Aliyev, Aliyeva is also the current First Lady of Azerbaijan. Mehriban Aliyeva is also the current Deputy Leader of the New Azerbaijan Party.

Khurshidbanu Natavan was an Azerbaijani poet and philanthropist. Regarded as one of the most prominent lyrical poets of Azerbaijan, Natavan was best known for her lyrical ghazals. Also a well-known philanthropist, Khurshidbanu Natavan worked towards promoting the cultural and social development of Karabakh. She is credited with building an aqueduct, which relieved the townsfolk of their water problem.

Sahiba Gafarova is a Azerbaijani politician and professor. She is currently serving as the Speaker of the National Assembly. Since 2004, Sahiba Gafarova has been an important member of the New Azerbaijan Party.  

Azerbaijani-Romanian weightlifter Cristina Iovu, who competes in 53-kg division, won gold at the European Weightlifting Championships in 2012 and 2016, bronze at the Olympics in 2012 and silver at Universiade in 2013. She was stripped of her Olympic medal after her re-tested 2012 Olympics sample tested positive for Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone. In December 2018, IWF banned her until 2026 for Blood substitution.

Ganira Pashayeva is an Azerbaijani politician who has been serving as a Member of the National Assembly for Tovuz Rayon since 2005. Pashayeva started her career as a reporter and then worked as the Deputy editor-in-chief for the ANS Group of Companies. Ganira Pashayeva has also worked as a pediatrician in Somalia. 

Maleyka Abbaszadeh is an Azerbaijani political figure. She is best known for her service as the Chair of the SSAC, a newly established organization which oversees the national entrance test for potential post-secondary students in Azerbaijan.

Daughter of Azerbaijani business magnate Mirza Asadullayev, Umm-El-Banine Assadoulaeff was an author who wrote under the pseudonym Banine. She moved to France and left her husband whom she was forced to marry as a teenager and started her writing career. Her memoir, Days of the Caucasus remains her best-known work.

Adila Mutallibova was an Azerbaijani physician. The wife of Ayaz Mutallibov, Adila is best remembered for her service as the First Lady of Azerbaijan from 1991 to 1992, during which her husband served as the president of the country.

Elmira Gafarova was an Azerbaijani diplomat and politician. She is best remembered for her service as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic from 1983 to 1987. From 1990 to 1992, she served as the Speaker of Azerbaijani Parliament.