On 22 March 2023, over 30 representatives from 18 civil society organisations  (CSOs) learned about the “Methodology and toolkit for civil society organisations to run communication/advocacy campaigns to promote the values, aims and main provisions of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence’’ at the awareness-raising seminar in Yerevan.

The methodology was developed  by the Council of Europe in co-operation with Women Against Violence Europe Network (WAVE) and UN Women to support CSOs in raising awareness on the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention).

Representatives of international and national CSOs from other countries shared their experience with Armenian CSOs. Anca Ciupa from WAVE Network presented the methodology. Klara Hlavačková, Czech Women’s Lobby and Iliana Balabanova, Bulgarian Women's Lobby shared their experience, lessons learned and challenges on raising awareness and lobbying initiatives using the methodology in their respective countries.

“We, the civil society organisations, have a key role to support the state authorities in raising awareness about gender-based violence and domestic violence, improving the state response to this phenomenon – Hasmik Gevorgyan, Program Manager in Women Support Centre NGO said, - and this methodology comes to help us with this role”.

Following the seminar, the Council of Europe launches a call for proposals, aiming to support awareness-raising and advocacy initiatives of Armenian CSOs to promote the values, aims and provisions of the Istanbul Convention, generating positive narratives and dispelling myths and misinformation regarding the Convention.  

The seminar and call for proposals are organised in the frame of the CoE project “Ending violence against women and promoting gender equality in Armenia”.