Background and Context
In September 2023, following a nine-month blockade, the number of forcibly displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh to Armenia reached 100,632, according to official data. UN Women reports that 52% of these displaced individuals are women. While wars are typically initiated by men, their most severe and long-lasting impacts are felt by all, regardless of social status, age, gender identity, or place of residence. Women’s organizations and feminist groups have been pivotal in advocating for peace and ceasefires. Despite the adverse effects of war, these groups often assume significant responsibilities, addressing the social, economic, and psychological needs of women and their families. Although direct humanitarian aid is not typically within the scope of these organizations’ missions, they quickly mobilize resources to support women with urgent needs resulting from war.
Assessing Needs
Since September 2023, the Fund’s team has maintained regular contact with partner institutions and groups involved in supporting displaced individuals, particularly women. These organizations are spread across Armenia, from Goris to Gyumri, Berd, Vanadzor, and Martuni. By the end of September, we compiled and updated a comprehensive list of needs, which we shared with local and international partners to streamline the response efforts. The primary needs (as of December 2023) include:
- Autumn/Winter clothing, scarves
- Underwear, socks, tights
- Sanitary pads, tampons, condoms
- Adult diapers, toothpaste, toothbrushes
- Wet wipes, cotton swabs
- Women’s medication (painkillers, sedatives, antipyretics)
- Medical bandages, supplements, vitamins
- Soap, shampoo, deodorant, sanitizers, tissues, toilet paper
- Creams, combs/hair brushes, nail clippers
- Medication and necessities for pregnant and breastfeeding women
- Children’s medication and supplies
- School supplies and stationery
- Bedding, towels, beds, folding beds
- Non-perishable food, baby and toddler food
- Detergents and cleaning supplies
Our primary source for this diverse list of needs was our partners directly involved in providing humanitarian assistance. Additionally, we gathered information from other verified organizations to clarify our objectives.
Beyond material needs, there is a continuous demand for psychological and social services for displaced women and their families. We also aimed to address the needs of colleagues and teams actively involved in this situation, offering support such as psychological consultations, yoga, swimming, training, and team retreats. Regular evaluations by the Fund have highlighted the importance of addressing these needs.
Fundraising and Distribution
Following the identification of initial needs, the Foundation launched fundraising efforts through online campaigns and meetings with larger foundations. This resulted in direct humanitarian support from organizations including:
- The Equality Fund
- filia die frauenstiftung
- Madre
- Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation
- Global Fund for Community Foundations
- Solidarity Fund/MamaCash
- Women Win
Moreover, within our cooperation with the Sigrid Rausing Trust Fund we have been able to flexibly reorient some resources to humanitarian support as well. Additionally, other resources were collected during our campaign through direct donations. Every donation from the online campaign has been used to address the immediate and welfare needs of women and their supporters.
Between October 2023 and May 2024, a total of AMD 35,950,700 (USD 92,573) was allocated to 26 local organizations and initiatives (17 humanitarian + 9 WPS [Women, Peace, and Security]).
To ensure transparency and acknowledge our partners’ contributions, we list the supported organizations below:
- Sose Women’s Issues NGO (Syunik Region)
- You Are Not Alone NGO (Vayots Dzor Region)
- Martuni Women’s Council NGO (Gegharkunik Region)
- Women’s Center: Shushi NGO (Yerevan)
- Women’s Rights House NGO (Shirak Region)
- Goris Press Club NGO (Syunik Region)
- Eco Youth NGO (Syunik Region)
- Armine Zakaryan, Personal/Group Initiative (Lori Region)
- Real World, Real People NGO (Yerevan)
- Path of Equality NGO (Ararat Region)
- Re-Skill Lab Initiative (Yerevan)
- Community Trust NGO (Ararat Region)
- Women’s Empowerment Resource Center NGO (Kotayk Region)
- Berd Women’s Resource Center NGO (Tavush Region)
- Mughdusyan Art Center (Yerevan)
- HUB Artsakh NGO (Yerevan)
- Women’s Potential Development Center NGO (Yerevan)
The collected resources have provided support to various groups of women affected by war and displacement, including victims of violence, women living with HIV, women with disabilities, job seekers, and their families. We also had cases when already ongoing projects have been reframed in order to be as responsive to the situation as possible.
Within the framework of these projects, it was possible to support almost 2500 displaced women. The number is not final yet, as some projects are still in progress.
The crisis of war and displacement is linked to the failure of the peace, security, and women’s agenda. The “Women, Peace, Security” agenda and related policies should complement each other, rather than misrepresent military service for women as gender equality. In 2024, through a new funding initiative in the spring, we financed 9 more projects focusing on primary needs, integration, advocacy, arts, and research (another article on these specific projects is coming soon).
