On September 9, 2022, the inaugural sessions of the Public Council on Women’s Rights adjunct to the Human Rights Defender took place.
The opening speech was delivered by the Human Rights Defender Ms. Kristinne Grigoryan.
The Defender thanked those present for accepting the invitation to attend the first session and thanked the members of the Council for accepting the membership invitation. The Defender noted that one of the most important priorities of the mandate of the Human Rights Defender is the protection of Women’s rights, in the direction of which huge efforts have been and are being made by the Defender’s Office, and representatives of non-governmental organizations and independent human rights defenders.
“The state authorities are the primary addressee of the policy of this sphere, both in terms of the practical provision of equality guaranteed by the Constitution and the international obligations assumed by the State, including the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women” stated the Defender.
Ms. Lila Pieters Yahia, the Resident Coordinator a.i. of the United Nations also made a welcoming speech.
“I hope that the establishment of a Council adjunct to the Human Rights Defender will become a serious step in uniting the non-governmental organizations working in this sphere, ensuring the strengthening of the combat for the protection of women’s rights. In this context, I want to highlight the long-term cooperation between the UN Population Fund and the Human Rights Defender’s Office, one of the primary directions of which is the promotion of gender equality and the fight against gender-based violence” stated Ms. Lila Pieters Yahia
Afterward, the Defender’s Office presented the aims of the Council. The Defender’s Office that the aim of the Council is to support the activity of the Defender in the field of protection of women's rights as an advisory body.
The tasks of the newly created Council are to support the Defender in ensuring women's legal equality, promoting political participation, preventing violence against women and gender violence, contributing to increasing the effectiveness of protecting women's rights, and highlighting problems and gaps by proposing legislative solutions.
The participants of the session presented the work done by their organizations.
The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Armenia H.E. Ms. Lynne Marie Tracy was also present during the session. In her speech, she expressed her gratitude for the formation of the Council and noted that the Council should focus on such issues that will also help other partners to join their efforts. The US government and the Embassy attach great importance to these issues, and many of the activities of the Embassy focus on these issues from different perspectives: empowering women, addressing the gender gap, as well as trying to provide opportunities for women to become leaders" noted the Ambassador.
Deputy Minister of Justice Ms. Arpine Sargsyan also welcomed the formation of the Council and emphasized the issues related to guaranteeing of rights of women in penitentiary institutions and involving women in the Police patrol service. The Standing Committee on Health Care and Social Affairs of the National Assembly Ms. Heriknaz Tigranyan, the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Tatevik Stepanyan, and representatives of other state institutions were invited to the session.
Afterward, discussions took place on the plan and actions for the upcoming year. The draft of “A Brief Overview on promoting the involvement of women in the law enforcement system of Armenia” prepared by the Human Rights Defender’s Office, the list of tasks arising from it was discussed
The participants exchanged ideas on the plan of action, the details of its implementation, as well as the details of the roles each one could play in the process.
In concluding the discussion, the Defender noted that discussions will begin discussions with the members of the Council to decide the topic of the next session and make recommendations.
The meeting was attended by heads of state administration bodies, members of the National Assembly, non-governmental organizations, as well as representatives of accredited diplomatic representations in Armenia, and international organizations.
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The session took place with the assistance of the “Accountable Institutions and Human Rights Protection in Armenia '' project funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented jointly by UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, and the OSCE.
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The decision to create the Advisory Council on Women’s Rights adjunct to the Human Rights Defender was signed on August 25, 2022. In addition to the newly created Council, 3 advisory councils’ adjunct to the Human Rights Defender function: The Advisory Council on the Prevention of Torture, the Advisory Council for the Protection of Human Rights in the Armed Forces, and the Advisory Council or the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
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