On 30 January 2025, the second phase of the project "Ending violence against women and promoting gender equality in Armenia" was officially launched in Yerevan. The event brought together representatives from Armenia’s Ministries of Labour and Social Affairs, Education, Justice, and Interior, as well as key civil society organisations. They discussed the continuation of co-operation and identified new priorities for the next phase of the project.

Tatevik Stepanyan, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, who co-chaired the meeting, emphasised that the project is aligned with Armenia’s strategic priorities. This includes strengthening legislation, improving implementation mechanisms, and establishing effective rehabilitation programmes for perpetrators. She also underscored the critical role of awareness-raising, behavioural change initiatives, and media engagement in advancing gender equality and preventing violence and expressed hope that measurable progress would be achieved, bringing Armenia closer to ratifying the Istanbul Convention.

The Council of Europe project team outlined the planned activities for 2025-2026, which will focus on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, including digital violence. A key focus will be on empowering women, particularly refugee women and girls.

For more information about the project, visit the project web page.