You are here

On 31 January 2017, an international conference on preventing violence against women took place in Yerevan. The event was organized jointly by the Council of Europe, the Human Rights Defender of Armenia and the UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund Armenia.
 
 
The event was opened by Arman Tatoyan, Human Rights Defender of Armenia; Arpine Hovhannisyan, Armenian Justice Minister; Elinar Vardanyan, Chair of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs; Bradley Busetto, UN Resident Co-ordinator and UNFPA Representative in Armenia; and Natalia Voutova, Head of Council of Europe Office in Yerevan. 
 
Two women, survivors of domestic violence shared their experience in breaking silence and seeking justice.
 
The event participants discussed how changing mindsets and creating an institutional architecture can help prevent violence against women; how victims and women at risk can be protected, and perpetrators prosecuted. 
 
One of the main discussion topics of the conference was the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, the Istanbul Convention, a flagship document of the Council of Europe in this area, and the issue of Armenia joining it.
 
Garik Hayrapetyan, UNFPA Armenia Assistant Representative led the conclusion of the conference.