My mom’s dowry, 2024

Mixed media on digital print

30 x 37.5 cm, 40 x 50 cm

I’ve been asked, “When are you getting married?” since I was 16, yet I still don’t feel ready. At first, I thought this was just a cultural expectation, but after talking to people here, I realized it’s a common question in this country too. It’s just that everyone’s timing is different.

In Azerbaijan, patriarchal norms dictate that marriage is essential for a woman. She is expected to “have a man behind her,” “bear children,” and “continue the lineage.” Many women are pressured into marriage because it is so highly valued, and under these societal expectations, some make hasty decisions without truly having a choice. In the worst cases, young girls are forced into marriage at an early age.

From childhood, girls face countless restrictions: “Come home before dark,” “You’re a girl, you can’t travel alone,” “You can’t stay overnight at a friend’s house,” “You can’t meet a boy before marriage,” and so on. For many, marriage becomes the only escape from these limitations. Meanwhile, boys and men are free to do as they please.

Today, however, many women are breaking free from these norms, choosing to live on their terms—and they are happy.