Across Armenia, refugee and local women rebuilding their lives are taking decisive steps toward stability, income and dignity. Through the grant initiatives of the Council of Europe’s project Ending Violence Against Women and Promoting Gender Equality in Armenia, 158 women and girls had found an opportunity to feel safe, learn and rebuild their lives. They discovered they could restore trust in themselves and raise their expectations for future.
Each of the three grant initiatives addressed a different barrier women face when starting again, from practical skills and market readiness to emotional resilience and legal protection.
In Tavush Province, the “For Equality” Human Rights NGO equipped 23 refugee and local women with tools and vocational training – providing women with sewing kits, pastry equipment, hairdressing and manicure sets, and supplies for small-scale food production. Every item was chosen with the realities of the local market in mind. These women gained confidence to restart their professions and reshape their future. Alongside these, digital-skills workshops opened up new opportunities, teaching them how to promote their services online and attract customers.
For many, the change was life-altering. One 41-year-old refugee woman from Dilijan shared with pride: “This project was a great source of support for me… I can now earn an income and take care of my family’s needs,”. Another participant described how the programme helped her regain something even deeper than income: “You helped me feel useful again… I can earn money, pay utility bills, and even cover half of our rent.”
But this initiative reached far beyond livelihoods. It touched deeper issues of vulnerability of workers. Awareness raising sessions with the engagement of 70 women from across Tavush Province created spaces for sincere conversations on labour rights and domestic-violence protection mechanisms.
Meanwhile in Yerevan, through Armenian Progressive Youth NGO project “She Thrives” 40 women were supported to enter the job market or start a business. Entrepreneurship and employment bootcamps guided women to shape business ideas, prepare business plans , manage finances, polish their CVs and prepare for interviews, supported by mentors who approached each of the women individually believing in their potential. A trauma-recovery module helped women regain calm and focus after periods of instability and move forward.
“The biggest achievement was clarifying my goals, meeting new people, and realising I’m not alone.”- this is how the spirit of the programme was captured by one of the participants.
Another initiative “Slatsk” implemented by Hub Artsakh offered a targeted approach: focusing on improving the skills of 25 refugee women in accounting, a field with strong demand and remote-work opportunities. For two intensive months, the women learned accounting basics, tax rules and electronic reporting, each building a professional portfolio to showcase to employers. The project included also mental-health support element which helped women stay focused and self-assured throughout the programme.
As a result the transformation was indeed effective and as one 33-year-old refugee graduate shared, “I feel more self-confident now and am moving forward”. I’ve realised that I need to take small steps toward achieving my goal.”
Across all three programmes, women did not just acquire new skills, they also improved their knowledge about labour rights and available protection mechanisms against violence; they learned how to recognise unfair treatment when re-entering the job market with the new skills and being empowered to claim fair treatment and safety in the workplace and at home.
Together, these initiatives created real pathways to employment and entrepreneurship—helping these women rebuild with strength, stability and renewed belief in their future.