The Women’s Fund in Armenia is a strong supporter of various projects focused on advancing women’s rights, feminist principles, and social justice. These initiatives, carried out in collaboration with different partners, aim to enhance the role of women in society, promote their empowerment, and contribute to social change. Special attention is given to issues that are crucial for women and girls, ranging from educational programs to cultural initiatives and legal support. This document provides a comprehensive overview of feminist and women’s projects supported by the Women’s Fund, reflecting their commitment to fostering positive change and the full empowerment of women. Below we present the projects implemented by the partners across Armenia within the framework of this collaboration.
Women’s Rights House NGO – In the reporting period, Women’s Rights House NGO was primarily contracted to provide humanitarian and associated support to displaced women, girls, and their families from Nagorno Karabakh. This project encompasses both humanitarian aid and healing/collective care activities for the organization’s members. As a women’s fund, we place a strong emphasis on collective care practices among our partner teams and organizations. Particularly given the ongoing challenges in the region and the involvement of many of our partners in crisis management processes, we are committed to supporting them in overcoming burnout and trauma resulting from the situation.
Goris Press Club NGO – A separate project, involving the allocation of moderate resources for displaced women and girls from Nagorno Karabakh, is underway in the communities of the Syunik region, which faces significant challenges. The project is being carried out by a local NGO with a well-established presence in the region, particularly in the city of Goris. The approach for this project mirrors that of the previous one: a blend of humanitarian assistance for displaced women in the surrounding communities of Goris, coupled with activities aimed at benefiting the team involved in the initiative.
Armine Zakaryan IE – The aim of this initiative is to assist women displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh and now residing in the Tumanyan and Pambak communities of the Lori region. Our goal is to help these women identify and articulate their psychological challenges and needs, equip them with tools for managing these issues, and establish a platform for fostering diverse social connections. Specifically, we aim to introduce them to active and proactive women within the community, familiarize them with opportunities for engagement, and raise awareness about local and regional resources addressing women’s issues and initiatives.
To achieve these objectives, we must address the following two key challenges:
a) Many women struggle to recognize and regulate their emotions, understand the link between their physical sensations and emotions, and lack strategies for emotional management.
b) There is a lack of platforms facilitating social connections, employment opportunities, and engagement for resettled women across various communities.
By targeting these issues, we can empower displaced women to better navigate their psychological well-being and social integration.
Women’s Center Shushi NGO – Beneficiaries of the program are individuals forcibly displaced from Nagorno Karabakh who are currently residing in Yerevan and its surrounding regions. Building on our previous experience with the initial displacement, we’ve observed that the primary support tends to reach those in shelters. Therefore, our focus is on women residing in non-sheltered areas. Furthermore, currently, the primary state support is directed towards marzes, leaving the mentioned group excluded from the state’s target population.
Women over the age of 40, projects (closed call and PGM)
Women over 40 projects implemented by and for women who are 40 and above are a new way to approach the issues of “invisible” women in the society. Women over the age of 40 in the Armenian as well in other similar societies are invisible, their needs and personal well-being, health and spaces are neglected. Women above 40 are a group of people who are only considered important if they are contributing somehow in specific gendered roles, with their work, taking care of their family members and grandchildren, especially. Although many things are changing along the way, still, we are witnessing many issues not only in the capital city Yerevan, but also and mainly in the provinces, especially in remote areas. Thus, we launched the second cycle of the women over 40 call, and continued our collaboration with some of the previous grantees in this direction. Our aim is not only to have strong women’s movements and safe spaces for women in different areas, but also to prepare our partners for the process of participatory grant-meking in order to choose the following cohorts of grantee partners and share the knowledge with others.
In 2024, we have 9 local projects specifically designed and implemented by women over 40:
Susanna Shahnazaryan (from Goris, Syunik Region) – safe spaces, gatherings and sharing in a bordering community of Goris, where the fears of a new war and unclear futures are persistent. Women in the age groups over 50 and 60 years old are constantly neglected from the discussions on the situation in the country and what is going to happen next. These meetings among themselves are a great way to get to know and build trust among each other, have a stronger sense of belonging and importance for themselves, and, of course cultivate these women’s agency on different topics.
Haje Bakoyan (from Nor Kyank, Ararat Region) – Yezidi women in Armenia and around the world face numerous specific challenges to the community. Although ethnic discrimination is slowly perishing in Armenian society, there are still issues needing to be resolved. Haje and her colleagues are some of few unique women in the community that are vocal about the issues of violence against women, their need to have safe spaces and gathering points. These meetings are the only way to share some of their issues among women in Yezidi communities in Armenia. Through these meetings, they have also launched a small business idea of selling their own handmade products.
Mariam Aleksanyan (from Vanadzor, Lori Region) – Mariam and her colleagues this year concentrated on the situation of women in Vanadzor, the third largest city in Armenia. Although we may think that the city provides all necessary infrastructures for women, that is not the case when it comes to Armenia. Women lack safe spaces everywhere and are eventually forced to forget about their own needs. In this group of women over 40, the participants combined joint cooking sessions with mindfulness workshops and practices where they were able to share their problems among the group and also with a psychologist.
Satik Badeyan (from Lchashen, Gegharkunik Region) – Yet another wonderful group of women over 40 in another region of Armenia where the cultural expectations from and stereotypes about women and their gendered roles have to be fought against. This group of women started with both agricultural and psychological meetings. Some of the meetings were also dedicated to the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women in the group. The meetings involved women with different backgrounds: women public servants, women from other neary rural communities, women in agriculture and business. Being in a social entrepreneurship herself, Satik shared some of her knowledge and experience with other women participating in these workshops and meetings. This year, the group involved less women but the meetings were effective in the same way.
Art House NGO (from Gyumri, Shirak Region) – Our collaboration with the Art House NGO started in 2023 in the scope of the projects by and for women over the age of 40. This was another specific project with the partners in Gyumri, Shirak region, where the cultural norms are deeply engraved in everyday life. Gohar and Hermine՛, our partners from Art House NGO, started with small scale meetings and a movie production on the life of women in Gyumri after 40 last year, in 2023. This project eventually became bigger than expected since the women involved in the group last year brought new people into the “safe space” they have created for themselves. They continued their meetings with a coach and a psychologist, also meetings for yoga classes were held as well. During our monitoring visits it was impressive to see women in the “kitchen discussion” style meetings where they could rely on each other and share their visions on different topics.
Nazik Armenakyan (from Yerevan, doing projects all over the country) – Nazik is a documentary photo producer who has been working on the issues of women and other marginalized groups since 2013. Nazik is one of the unique women photographers in Armenia who is not working but livingher every project. This one as well, she started to photograph and meet women from different communities of Armenia. The project also involved women from Nagorno Karabakh who were displaced from their homes in September 2023. The project culminated in a wonderful photo exhibition in Gyumri, in the local gallery of Aslamazyan sisters, who were some of the most prominent female artists of the soviet Armenian period.
Femforward NGO (Chambarak, Gegharkunik Region) – Within their project the NGO team continued their work towards strengthening the women’s club consisting of women from Chambarak. The project is a combination of meetings as a self-help group as well as building a culture of businesses for women. Meetings were held in the premises of the office of the NGO where women gathered together twice per month and talked about different issues from personal to political. The meetings were facilitated by the team of the organizations. For now, the project has come to an end but there is certainly the need to keep the women’s club going. One of the many reasons for that is the fact that it is the only entertainment women have for themselves in Chambarak, plus it is also a safe space for sensitive topics.
Renaissance Film by Mary Aghakhanyan (from Yerevan) – Within the framework of this project, the author will continue the development of the film on the topic “Documentation of women with cancer”. According to the words of the organizer of the program, she would like women over 40 to be more active, financially, intellectually, with their actions they could influence the environment, unite, which is difficult for Armenians in general, but she thinks that in that case women would be very strong and powerful. According to the author, in the first stage of the program, the participants felt inner relief that they had overcome the difficulty of public speaking. The organizer hopes that this time it will not be so difficult for new participants and there will not be many refusals to shoot.
Hripsimyants Shunch NGO (from Stepanavan, Lori Region) – Within the framework of this project, the implementing team organized coaching and yoga classes for about 30 women (local and from Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh) in Stepanavan. Coaching helped women to apply the knowledge and abilities without excessive tension, enjoying the process of self-expression and self-improvement. Coaching sessions gave them an opportunity to feel the taste of life, to love and revive their interests in the things that they like. Through coaching, a person realizes that there are no failures, but there are problems, lessons and challenges. Every situation teaches something new and gives an opportunity to see what qualities, abilities, and knowledge should be developed in order to progress. And in the case of yoga, as it is confirmed, the practice contributes to the improvement of relations with people. Being filled with calmness and mindfulness makes it easy to build and maintain relationships both professionally and personally. These meetings were also accompanied by a few dance classes.
Adolescent Girl’s Projects (30 applications, PGM)
Marie and Lilit (Vanadzor) – Schoolgirls Marie and Lilit recognize the importance of sexuality and reproductive education. They organize meetings with gynecologists, psychologists, and other specialists for girls their age in Vanadzor, including girls from Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh.
Nare’ and Susanna (Gyumri) – These adolescents are involved in various fields like art and technology. They created a puzzle game called “Sasna Tsrօuhiner” to highlight strong female characters from Armenian epics who are often overlooked. The game will be showcased at our upcoming Yerevan retreat.
Katrine (Yerevan) – An art enthusiast who has noticed gender injustices from a young age, Katrin is creating posters depicting men in traditionally female roles. She also participates in courses and shares her knowledge with peers. The posters will be displayed around Yerevan, challenging stereotypes about gender roles.
Anoush, Angela, and others (Amrakits) – These girls are organizing photography meetings and courses, culminating in an exhibition within their community. Their project aims to engage and inspire local girls, emphasizing the importance of community activation.
Arevik and Anna (Kapan) – These schoolgirls, passionate about reading, have established a reading group that provides a safe space for discussions and self-education among Kapan girls. Arevik has even published her own book.
Fenya (ArshaluysVagharshapat): Fenya organizes meetings between girls and successful women from various fields, promoting the idea that girls should look to women as role models. Her program aims to inspire and activate other girls in her city.
All project proposals were submitted in video format. Using a participatory grantmaking approach, previous participants in the Fund’ Adolescent Girls’ program selected the six projects that best aligned with our goals. Each project receives up to AMD 450,000 in funding. Project teams meet regularly with the Fund and each other, both online and in safe physical spaces. We deeply value the dedication of our adolescent partners in working towards a more equitable future for girls.
Some quotes from the networking meeting and study visit with the partners of the adolescent girls’ project:
“I also want to express my gratitude to you and your team. The format of the meetings was really great. I only have positive impressions. It was very comfortable to talk, to chat with you and others, to express your feelings and emotions. I also understood that I am not alone like this, with this mindset and I can continue whatever I am doing the way I think is right. I loved getting to know everyone.”
A partner from adolescent girls’ program
“We enjoyed the meetings very much, and we are so impressed by your team’s human qualities. I would love to have more meetings and workshops like this. I would love to stay in touch with everyone. And of course, keep the fight for women’s rights.”
A partner from adolescent girls’ program
“It was a very impressive meeting for me. I took with me many things which I will definitely use in our project. It was great to meet others as well. It is very pleasant and so important to see that people are listening to you and you are not alone. I am so happy and delighted that I am cooperating with you. Thank you so much! Currently, I do not have any new topics in mind for our next meeting, but I would love to be in any meeting and take notes for my future projects.”
A partner from adolescent girls’ program
Highlights: Funding for 2024 Adolescent Girls Program – Women’s Fund Armenia (womenfundarmenia.org)
March 8 feminist events
March 8, recognized globally as International Women’s Day, holds significant feminist importance as a day to celebrate women’s achievements and advocate for feminist futures in its differences and diversity. Around the world, it serves as a focal point for women’s rights movements, highlighting issues such as gender-based violence, equal pay, and reproductive rights. In Armenia, March 8 is observed with particular reference, reflecting the feminists’ appreciation for women’s roles in society and the ongoing struggle of feminists. Feminist activists use this day to spotlight both the progress made and the challenges that remain in achieving true equality, often organizing events, rallies, and discussions aimed at empowering women and addressing societal norms that perpetuate many discriminations.
WIthin this call for proposals, the following projects have been supported by the Women’s Fund Armenia:
Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) NGO (Noyemberyan, Tavush Region) – Organization of a game “What? Where? When?” in the city in order to raise awareness about women’s rights.
Kanani Social-Psychological Center NGO (Gyumri, Shirak Region) – Appreciation of the women’s role in the society especially in the very patriarchal society of Shirak region. A tour event in Gyumri city through the historical places such as the museum of Shushanik Kurghinyan (poetess), the gallery of Aslamazyan sisters (painters), Women’s Gymnasium, other historical places related to the women’s history in Gyumri.
Creopia Creative Youth NGO (Vanadzor, Lori Region) – Individual transformation: the initiative creates a safe space for self-reflection through yoga, meditation, and introspection through the video/ audio interviews. It aims to guide participants to identifying their personal connection to March 8 and feminism. Safe spaces: creating spaces for discussions on personal framings of March 8, allowing participants to learn from diverse perspectives and build a deeper understanding of gender equality issues.
Music of Armenia initiative (Yerevan) – The ‘Women’s Music Month’ annual event provides an opportunity for young girl and women musicians to perform, participate, learn, contribute, and exchange their skills and knowledge with their peers and established musicians. This encourages them, offering invaluable experience and expanding their abilities and connections. The project will contribute to the development and advancement of girls and women in the musical field, presenting women as key players in music, providing opportunities for young girl musicians to receive or continue their musical education, supporting the development of their own knowledge, encouraging a more comprehensive ecosystem for female musicians, promoting the development and advancement of girls and women in the musical field.
“Bari Yert” NGO (Goris, Syunik Region) – The aim of this project was to bridge the gap between contemporary knowledge and demands and traditional perceptions, to break stereotypes that are strong in remote communities, and to elevate the role of female drivers by contributing to the prevention and reduction of violence, abuse, and neglect.
Global Transgender Foundation (Yerevan) – The aim of the project was to raise awareness about the rights of trans women and encourage trans women to get involved in feminist campaigns and movements. From March 8 to April 7, dedicated to “Women’s Month”, posters, short videos, and other materials raising awareness about trans women, with titles like ‘Trans Women Are Women Too,’ will be created and shared on the foundation’s social media channels.
Bela Poghosyan (Yerevan) – The purpose of the project was to create a free space for the realization and discussion of creative ideas, to establish a small collective of female artists that will continue to operate after the project’s completion. The aim was also to share the artists’ experiences with the public, to raise issues that still concern not only women, and to share how these can be addressed through artistic practices, research, and everyday actions. The project culminated in a wonderful exhibition.
Arevik Babayan (Kapan, Syunik Region) – They presented in the schools and colleges of Upper Vachagan what March 8 represents, what kind of event occurred on that day, and why we celebrate March 8. The aim was to explain the purpose and highlight the women thanks to whom we have the right to vote and participate in elections.
