Police officers of Armenia participated in a two-day interactive training on how to address and respond to violence against women and domestic violence. The participants learned about what is gender-based violence and how it affects women disproportionately, the national obligations from international treaties for the protection of women, as well as the existing national legislation for preventing violence against women and domestic violence. The training addressed also practical approaches to police intervention and how to avoid secondary victimisation, facts and reality vs. myths and stereotypes around domestic violence.

“Knowledge acquired during the trainings will be applied in practice and will be translated into concrete actions to prevent, protect, prosecute, and provide reparation for victims of all forms of violence against women in order to secure women’s inalienable right to live a life free from fear and violence” highlighted the Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan, Maxime Longangué.  

“Putting the victim in the centre of the intervention, detailed risk assessment and safety planning are key for police conduct while dealing with domestic violence cases.  This training reinforced this approach once again and gave a good chance to learn from the practices and challenges of other colleagues”, Lilit Jahangiryan, a police officer from Sisian region said.

The training  was organised within the framework of the project “Path towards Armenia’s ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence”.