The Path towards Armenia's Ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence

The Council of Europe project aimed at strengthening the capacity of key stakeholders involved in preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, protecting the victims and prosecuting the perpetrators of violence as well as advancing gender equality.

about the project

The project built on the achievements of the previous project “Preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence in Armenia”. The Council of Europe focuses on providing information and knowledge about relevant European standards, in particular the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) and its implications for national policy and legal frameworks. This project has given timely support for the implementation of the recently adopted law on domestic violence in Armenia and paves the way for the ratification of the Istanbul Convention in Armenia.

The project contributed to the following specific outcomes outlined in the Council of Europe’s Action Plan for Armenia for 2019–2022:

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

The project's long-term impact aims that women in Armenia benefit from gender equality and protection against all forms of violence against women.

The project aimed to:

Enhance the knowledge of law enforcement and legal professionals, as well as journalists and other stakeholders on the law on domestic violence and European standards, notably the Istanbul Convention, as they deal with the cases of domestic violence and violence against women
Strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, public officials and social workers to apply European standards (notably the Istanbul Convention) as they implement the law on domestic violence and provide support for women victims of violence against women
Support gender sensitivity in education by assisting in the development of curricula, courses and materials for primary and secondary schools

Project publications

Training manual for police officers on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence English | Armenian

Training manual on preventing violence against women and domestic violence in Armenia (edited in 2022) English | Armenian

Training course on ensuring gender equality through the practice of judges, prosecutors and investigators English | Armenian

Guideline on gender equality and violence against women for Armenian journalists and media workers English | Armenian

Other resources

Podcast - Domestic violence in Armenia: its manifestations Armenian

Podcast - Gender inequality and gender-based violence in Armenia Armenian

Video - Preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence Armenian

For more project publications and translations in Armenian, visit the website of the Council of Europe office in Yerevan.

More information about the project

News

Back Council of Europe marked successful completion of project in Armenia

On 9 December 2022, the Council of Europe brought together representatives of Armenian state institutions and key professionals to mark the successful completion of the project “The path towards Armenia's ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence” and to present the results achieved from March 2019 to December 2022. The project aimed at strengthening the capacity of key stakeholders involved in preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, protecting victims, and prosecuting the perpetrators of violence as well as advancing gender equality. It shared knowledge about the relevant European standards, in particular the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, (Istanbul Convention), and its implication for the national policy and legal frameworks.

Martina Schmidt, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan, thanked all project partners for their active cooperation over the past years and stressed the Council of Europe’s commitment to further support the Government of Armenia within the new Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026. “We can state that Armenia has made progress in improving the national legislation and enhancing services and support for victims of domestic violence”, Ms Schmidt stressed.

Marta Becerra, Head of the Cooperation Unit of the Council of Europe Gender Equality Division, highlighted the areas of further cooperation discussed with the Armenian stakeholders during the needs assessment consultations. A new Council of Europe project based on the results of the closing one is planned to be launched in 2023.

Tatevik Stepanyan, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, highlighted the importance of continuous and sustainable reforms and expressed appreciation for the commitment and dedicated work on the side of all involved parties. Arpine Sargsyan, Deputy Minister of Justice thanked the Council of Europe for the continuous support readiness for the future cooperation in line with Armenia’s international commitments.

The implementation of the Project was made possible by contributions from Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Sweden, and Romania to the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2019-2022.

Click here to watch a short video about the project results.

Yerevan 09/12/2022