While young men (oğlanlar) are often tacitly encouraged to gain "experience" abroad or in the military, women face a zero-tolerance policy regarding pre-marital intimacy. Surveys conducted by local NGOs suggest that upwards of 80% of young Azerbaijani women believe their families would react with extreme punishment—ranging from forced marriage to exile—if they discovered a boyfriend.

In Azerbaijan, the concept of a secret relationship is often a survival mechanism. Because family reputation (

This timeline puts immense pressure on Azeri qizlar . They must balance their education and careers with the societal expectation to be married by their mid-20s. The "secret" phase is a cherished time of freedom, but it is often tinged with the fear of the inevitable expiration date.