Today, the Armenian Young Lawyers Association organized a seminar in Vanadzor in the framework of “Influencing the Women’s Rights Agenda” Project, thus starting the planned regional visits.
Among other planned activities the project envisage organizations of seminars in Yerevan and in 4 (four) marzes of Armenia. The first seminar took place in Vanadzor city of Lori Marz.
The members of the Armenian Young Lawyers Association delivered lectures on the sphere for the lawyers and representatives of the civil society.
There is no disproportion in women’s rights laws. Mr. Karen Zadoyan, the AYLA President mentioned that the women’s issues in our society are associated with the customary stereotypes and especially in the regions. “Problems shall be solved through awareness and recognition. On the other hand we have problems among the lawyers and advocates, and why not among the employers as well, when they wrongly apply laws, not knowing about the existence of the ECHR precedents on these issues. In this respect, it is not enough just to educate women, men also should be educated in this aspect, they should be taught and provided information on women’s rights,” Mr. Zadoyan said.In this aspect the project has two targets. The first is the component of awareness: “We aim to raise the citizens’ awareness on women’s rights issues, as well as to enhance the knowledge and skills of the lawyers, advocates and human rights activists through organizing trainings for the lawyers, advocates and right protective organizations. In addition, we plan trainings for the NGOs that are involved in women’s rights issues, Local Self Government Bodies and the Administration Staff of the Councils of Elderly in order to inform them and discuss the issues that exist in the sphere. We also plan and have already started organization of the awareness campaign on women’s rights issues through itavaban.net website.” The second component is conducting monitoring on implementation of the requirements of the “UN he Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women” in Armenia. As a result of monitoring the corresponding report will be compiled and presented to the Public and the relevant bodies.
“People often speak about the women’s rights, even without being aware of those rights,” Legal Advisor, Head of the AYLA Lori Branch Arthur Sukiasyan said. He made a historical review in his lecture about the processes of ensuring the women’s rights. Further he spoke about the labor rights of the women introducing the domestic and international legal acts.
Legal Advisor, Advocate Mariam Zadoyan spoke about the women’s participation and introduced the international best practices. She referred to the domestic and international legal acts on ensuring the women’s participation. Then she touched the issues of women’s participation in legislative, executive and judicial power, as well as local self governments and the Councils of Elderly.
In addition, she delivered a lecture on the international obligations that Armenia had undertaken and the practical ways of application of the women’s rights.
Advocate Syuzanna Soghomonyan introduced the property rights. She also delivered another lecture that referred to the women’s reproductive health right issues including the sex-selective abortion issues.
“Influencing the Women’s Rights Agenda” project is implemented by the Armenian Young Lawyers Association NGO with financial support of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Republic of Armenia. Within the framework of the project the organization provides free legal advice on the women’s rights to citizens, in Yerevan and in 4 provinces of the RA, since 1 May, 2015.
G.T.
