With the support of The Sigrid Rausing Trust, the following programs were implemented in 2023 so far:
Support to 40+ women’s initiatives
- Art House Gyumri – As a result of the art project “40 or… etc.” a short video film was produced in a video-art format with a multimedia approach where the psychological problems of middle-aged women working in cultural centers of Gyumri were presented, the movie show’s what is beyond attention and behind the scenes and how to overcome it all.
- Nazik Armenakyan – “Flowers for me” program is a photography project that Nazik implemented in regions of Armenia. The program gave her the opportunity to study the differences between women living in the regions, how the local cultural heritage, customs and upbringing affect the lifestyle and way of thinking of women. The result will be a series of portraits of women aged 45-46, which tends to show how different women and their problems are.
- Silva Chobanyan – Within the framework of the presented project, Silva reflected on the stereotypes about women over 40 and the pressures from society through a theater performance. The heroines of the play are different, they are from different communities, they have lived different lives and have different experiences, they are interested in different things. Through the project, Silva talked about the differences and solidarity of women, about their reflection at a more mature age, about self-analysis and overcoming complexes.
- Svetozar NGO – Within the framework of the “Age is only a number” project, professional counseling was provided to rural women over 40 regarding health problems caused by menopause and in the direction of mitigating and eliminating them. Psychological conversations were organized about emotions, emergence and manifestation of emotions and their cause-and-effect relationships, as well as formation of women’s attitudes to emphasize mutual help, healthy intrapersonal and interpersonal relations. More than 150 women from the Ararat region have participated in the program.
- Irina Hovhannisyan – Astghatsolk – With Irina Hovhannisyan’s initiative, the work of the club, which stopped its activity during the war, was resumed, using various techniques, including art therapy and master classes. During the club meetings, the women’s group discussed such topics as “Women’s friendship and mutual support after 40”, “Difficulties of finding and keeping a job among women over 40”, “Women over 40 and health” and other topics which the club members considered important.
Support to teenage girls
- Hnazand Manukyan – Within the framework of the “Digital Suns of Gusana” program, interactive courses, seminars and discussions were organized at the Homo Legends library-youth center.
- Charentsavan girls – The teenage girls of Charentsavan have produced a series of podcasts on various topics related to teenage girls, from sexism to difficulties in choosing a profession, positive body perception, etc.
Support to March 8 initiatives
- Armine Zakaryan and Boo Mountain Bike Park – During the event, a meeting was held with invited speakers, who told the stories of March 8 and the origin of the feminist movement, talked about the past and current trends in the development of the movement, presented the relationship between a healthy lifestyle, the role of sports and self-care and feminism, and also organized a women’s bike march in the city, with the slogan “Reclaiming public spaces.” The event took place in Vanadzor, at Boo Mountain Bike Park.
- Gohar Khachatryan – The idea was based on the following: conducting a four-day Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) course for 15 socially vulnerable teenage girls involved in the mentoring program of “Nor Luys” NGO. The aim of the training was to provide participants with the skills, knowledge and confidence to help them prevent and respond effectively to unwanted situations, from verbal harassment to physical abuse, as well as establish their personal boundaries and make decisions that are in their best interests.
- Global Trans Foundation – Since March 8th is International Women’s Day, the Global Foundation for Trans Rights Protection held an event inviting trans people, women sex workers, activists, representatives of various non-governmental organizations, embassy representatives and ambassadors to talk about women’s rights on that day. The event was called “Trans women’s rights are also rights.”
- Sose Women’s Issues NGO – The purpose of Sose Women’s Issues NGO was to invite successful women in the Syunik region, as well as beneficiaries of the organization and Artsakh women, to a daytime tea-party. It is important to create a free space for women to freely discuss the role of women from ancient times to the present day, to talk about gender equality, gender roles and the stereotypes related to them, and, most importantly, emphasize the role and importance of March 8. Participants from the entire Syunik region were invited to the meeting. The meeting took place in Goris.
- “Girls Talk” Initiative – The members of the initiative implemented the idea from March 1 to March 8. It involved making “advertising” posters that were attached in different parts of Yerevan. The posters offered pre-holiday discounts and promotions for flowers, cosmetics, and parties. After scanning the QR codes, other online posters were opened in front of people, showing the problems women are going through in Armenia: unpaid work, domestic violence, everyday discrimination, etc. The QRs have been posted on the newly launched Girlstalk website, which will serve as a platform for the initiative later. As well as an exhibition called “Tesaneli anun” (“A visible name”) was organized on March 6.
