Back Council of Europe concludes the first phase of the project on gender equality and violence against women in Armenia

Council of Europe concludes the first phase of the project on gender equality and violence against women in Armenia

On 11 December 2024, the Council of Europe marked successful completion of the “Ending Violence Against Women and Promoting Gender Equality in Armenia” project.  The event marked the major effort to improve protection, prevention, and prosecution in cases of violence against women and domestic violence and promote gender equality in Armenia.

A key focus of the project was aligning Armenian national legislation with the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) and supporting steps towards its ratification. The project also challenged gender stereotypes and worked to promote equality, in partnership with national state agencies and civil society organisations.

Future efforts will continue these endeavours, while also addressing the protection and empowerment of refugee women and girls.

Speaking at the event, Caterine Bolognese, Head of the Council of Europe Gender Equality Division, outlined the progress: "We greet the achievements of Armenia on the path to ratification of the Istanbul Convention and remain committed to supporting the country in its efforts to combat violence against women and promote gender equality."

Armen Mkrtchyan, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs welcomed the results of joint work and emphasised: “The cooperation over the years with the Council of Europe within this project has provided crucial support to the Ministry. This included enhancing police capacity and offering expert guidance. We are proud to celebrate the visible and substantive results achieved and are committed to continuing this collaboration”.

Our joint commitment to equality and combating violence against women is vital. As Armenia moves closer to ratifying the Istanbul Convention, the Council of Europe remains committed to supporting these important steps.

The project is implemented under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026.

 Watch the film about the achievements of the project

 

YEREVAN, ARMENIA 11 December 2024
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 Start date: 01 January 2023

 Duration: 24 months

 Funding: 975,000 EUR, Donors contributing to the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023–2026

Partners: Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia, The Human Rights Defender's Office the Republic of Armenia, Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia/RA Police, Investigation Committee of the Republic of Armenia

The Council of Europe project aimed at strengthening the capacities and co-operation among stakeholders to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence, including digital violence, as enshrined in the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention), and at advancing de facto gender equality and women’s empowerment. 

The project built on the lessons learned from the project “Preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence in Armenia: continuing the path towards ratification of the Istanbul Convention” which ended in December 2022.

The project provided support in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment (WE) and combating violence against women (VAW) and domestic violence (DV) by increasing knowledge, enhancing inter-agency co-operation line with European standards and best practices. The project's long-term impact expectation was that women in Armenia benefit from gender equality and protection against all forms of violence against women.

The project contributed to the Council of Europe’s Action Plan for Armenia for 2023–2026 so that:

  • Armenia is better prepared for the ratification of the Istanbul Convention
  • The Armenian legal and policy framework on preventing and combating domestic violence is in line with Council of Europe standards
  • Women victims of gender-based violence and domestic violence, including the most disadvantaged, have better access to justice and support services
  • Law enforcement officers, social workers, and other relevant professionals have a better understanding of European standards and gender-sensitive approaches related to the work with victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence

The project acted in three areas: 

  • In Area 1 (VAW/DV), the Council of Europe focuses on supporting authorities in their efforts to align their policy and institutional framework to the Istanbul Convention, providing evidence-based knowledge and promising practices. Special emphasis is put on promoting inter-agency cooperation.   The project will initiate work on emerging forms of VAW following the adoption of the first GREVIO General Recommendation N.1 on the digital dimension of VAW.
  • In Area 2 (WE), the Council of Europe focuses on supporting authorities and civil society in their efforts to enhance women's empowerment, promoting participation of women in decision-making, and combating stereotypes and sexism which can result in gender inequality and are an obstacle to women’s full enjoyment of human rights. The support is based in particular on the Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy (2018-2023) and its successor as of 2023, and the Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)1 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on preventing and combating sexism, as well as on promising practices from the Council of Europe member States. 

In January 2024 the project incorporated a new component to assist Armenian authorities in enhancing strategies and policies addressing the needs of refugee women and girls, raising awareness, and supporting their integration and empowerment.

  • In Area 3 (Refugee rights) the project specifically focuses on supporting authorities in formulating policies and practices for the rights of refugee women and girls. This support is guided by relevant European standards, recommendations and strategies. Furthermore, the project aims to promote gender-sensitive economic and social inclusion and integration of women and girls in local communities, establish a platform for civil society's advocacy about the rights of refugee women and girls, as well as expand media specialists’ skills in reporting on women refugees and victims of war. 
Reference documents
 Watch the film about the achievements of phase I of the project