On
January 23, an event titled “Prevention of Sex-Selective Abortions: Awareness
and Public Consciousness Formation” was held in the enlarged community of
Ijevan, Tavush Province, in the cooperation of the Human Rights Defender and
the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Armenia.
The
event was attended by representatives of the Tavush regional governor's staff,
civil society organizations, as well as other individuals interested in the
topic.
Opening
speeches were delivered by the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of
Armenia, Ms. Anahit Manasyan and Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
to Armenia, H.E. Ms. Merieke Monroy-Winter.
Addressing
the problem of sex-selective abortions, Ms. Anahit Manasyan noted that despite
the steps taken in recent years, it continues to remain a serious and
concerning problem, for Armenian society from the perspectives of human rights
protection and gender equality: “Usually, when society talks about equality, it
is often mistakenly perceived as an attempt to grant privileges to certain
groups. While in reality, it is not about privileges but about guaranteeing
equal opportunities. Emphasizing the rights of specific groups indicates that
there are existing problems related to the realization of those rights. Whether
large or small, the fact is that there are challenges that need to be
overcome”.
The
film “Congratulations, It’s a Girl” dedicated to the problem of sex- selective
abortions was shown within the framework of the event. The film was produced
with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Armenia
and addresses this urgent problem in Armenia.
Following
the screening, a thematic panel discussion was held with the participation of
the Human Rights Defender Ms. Anahit Manasyan, Ambassador H.E. Ms. Merieke
Monroy-Winter, Founder and Director of the “Article 3” Club Ms. Gayane
Abrahamyan and Chief Executive Officer of the BKMA Football Club Mr. Gagik
Aghbalyan. The discussion was moderated by Ms. Larisa Harutyunyan, Political
and Economic Affairs Policy Officer at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands in Armenia.
Summarizing
the event, the Human Rights Defender emphasized that such initiatives are
important not only for raising public awareness of the problem, but also for
creating an environment based on equality and solidarity. Ms. Anahit Manasyan
stressed the importance of uniting collective efforts to address existing
problems in the field and reaffirmed the Human Rights Defender’s readiness to
support relevant initiatives.
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