Three years ago, the amazing journey of the “Future Today” project began in Armenia. The story was woven by the hands of dreamers, with the cooperation of the United Nations Population Fund and the European Union. On its path, the project had several impactful stops, which strived to bring positive changes in the lives of the women and girls in Armenia.

“The "Future Today" project has positively impacted the lives of young Armenian women and girls, providing them with the necessary tools, knowledge and opportunities. Thanks to joint efforts with our partners in the European Union, this program has played an important role in promoting equality between women and men in our country and contributing to the empowerment of women,” says Tsovinar Harutyunyan, Head of Office, UNFPA Armenia CO.

The improvement of the Safe You mobile application created by innovative Armenian women was one of the main achievements of the “Future Today” project. “It is crucial for us that innovation and technology are used for the benefit of human rights protection, and the cooperation with Safe YOU had this particular goal,” says Lusine Sargsyan, Gender Programme Analyst, UNFPA Armenia. 

As highlighted by Mariam Torosyan, Founder and Executive Director of Safe YOU, the impact of the “Future Today” project for Safe YOU has been very comprehensive, as it has helped make this solution available to women in various ways. “Of course, we also had the opportunity to significantly improve both the application and the entire platform from a technical and technological perspective.”

Thanks to the project, a new version of the mobile application was developed and released. A Russian-language version of the app was also created, which expanded the reach of the platform, strengthening its impact in combating gender-based violence.

“WINNET” resource centers, founded within the “Future Today” project, serve as a platform for women in Tavush, Lori and Shirak regions of Armenia to acquire new skills, engage in economic activities, protect women’s rights, and participate in local governance. 

As noted by Anna Aleksanyan, Project Coordinator at “WINNET Armenia”, these centers have expanded the network, enabling them to make a difference in the lives of more women and reach more communities. “The program allowed us to increase our online presence by organizing an extensive communications campaign and completely updating the “WINNET Armenia” official website.” 

“Every empowered woman is another substantial brick in the foundation of the development of our society. At UNFPA, we are committed to the idea that every person should have the opportunity to realize their dreams and potential. That path must be taken by uniting all our efforts,” emphasizes Tsovinar Harutyunyan, Head of Office, UNFPA Armenia CO.

120 Armenian specialists from health and state institutions and non-governmental organizations enhanced their understanding of men and boys’ engagement in gender equality by participating in EU-funded workshops organized by the UNFPA Armenia and Equimundo within the “Future Today” Project.

“Organizing these workshops aimed to introduce international best practices to a broad range of professionals and stakeholders and deepen their understanding of strategies for engaging men and boys for gender equality. We hope these methods will be effectively applied in Armenia,” says Eduard Israelyan, “Future Today” Project Manager at the UNFPA Armenia.

Workshop participant Sipan Asatryan from the Coalition for Inclusive Legal Reforms says that similar initiatives and obtaining knowledge are significant for boys to have a healthy and equal society free from stereotypes in the future. “Our society has a stereotypical mindset, and even our traditions can reinforce those stereotypes. These stereotypes manifest in social roles, like stereotypes about boys and girls, which lead to divisions in general.”

Based on the topics of the workshops, a manual on engaging men and boys for gender equality was also developed, which presents the best international strategies and methods.

The videos were produced by the UNFPA Armenia in the framework of the EU-funded “FUTURE TODAY: Empowering women, youth and children for deepening democracy in Armenia” Project. Its content is the sole responsibility of UNFPA Armenia and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.