On October 24, 2014, UNFPA Armenia and the Ministry of Health held a joint event at the National Institute of Health, devoted to "What about you - do you have a daughter?" facebook campaign. The event opened a photo exhibition of fathers and daughters that participated in the fleshmob, as well as screened a short film by ArmNews TV devoted to the problem prenatal sex selection in Armenia.
Mr. Sergey Khachatryan, Deputy Minister of Health, and Mr. Garik Hayrapetyan, UNFPA Armenia Assistant Representative opened the event also attended by facebook campaign participants and the media
The campaign that spread since August 2014, was an important social initiative that had a huge public response reaching out to more than a hundred thousand people in its first week . During the campaign facebook users uploaded photos of their daughters along with warm comments to demonstrate that girl children are as dear and welcome for the family as boy children.
Mr. Garik Hayrapetyan said that it was very important that the idea of holding a campaign came about spontaneousely, which showed the readiness of the society. She thanked the author of the campaign Aramazd Ghalamkaryan, who was the first to post his daughter's picture and his personal view on the issue. Mr. Hayrapetyan also thanked photographer Artashes Stamboltsyan photographer, who graciously provided his fathers-daughters photo series to the exhibition. that having a girl is great wealth and that everyone should accept this fact.
"This facebook campaign showed that in fact there is a public need to talk about this issue," said UNFPA Assistant Representative.
Mr. Aramazd Ghalamkaryan told the reporters that the reason behind his initiative was to help prevent abortions because of the sex of the fetus. "I posted my daughter's photo on a social network to urge men to refrain from pushing for this practice. it is an extremely stupid thing to do, and you deprive yourself of a miracle - a girl child", said Mr. Ghalamkaryan.
