The representatives of the Civil Society Organizations and the Local Governance of Lori marz got acquainted with the women’s rights, the problems that exist in the sphere and the statistics through the interactive discussion and training.
Members of the Armenian Young Lawyers Association NGO had organized a regular training in Vanadzor City in the framework of “Influencing the Women’s Rights Agenda” Project.
Mr. Artak Saribekyan, the Executive Director of the Armenian Young Lawyers Association, welcomed the participants, introduced the “Influencing the Women’s Rights Agenda” project and spoke about the activities planned in its framework.
Further, the Project legal advisor Arthur Sukiasyan, Coordinator of the AYLA Lori Branch referred to the problems that exist in the sphere and mentioned, “Very often the people who talk about the women’s rights, do not know the extent of these rights are even unaware of the laws. If we talk about protection of the women’s rights, first of all we should know that rights. In different times and in different civilizations the role of women was different. Despite the disagreements and ideological differences there was only one distinct thing that there are the women’s right,” thus the expert highlighted the circumstance that the women’s rights should be segregated in the general law.
Speaking about the training, he stressed that today’s seminar can provide much knowledge on women’s rights. “CSOs and local government representatives during their regular daily activities often meet the women’s rights violations. I believe that the training will be really useful and interesting for you from this aspect,” Arthur Sukiasyan said.
Advocate Miss Syuzanna Soghomonyan, the Project Expert spoke about the property and inheritance rights. “In practice there are many cases when the spouses are in a factual marriage, which has not been registered in the order provided by law. As a result, there may not be property rights for them. Thus the women who appear in such situation are deprived of the joint ownership rights on the property acquired during the factual marriage,” said the advocate.
She also spoke about the rights of reproductive health, including the problem of sex-selective abortion. The expert informed that the RA Ministry of Health has elaborated a draft law, prohibiting the medical worker to provide any information about the child’s sex unless the pregnancy has not lasted for 30 weeks. After the adoption of this law, the medical workers who will infringe this requirement will be subjected to administrative penalty in the amount of 250-300 thousand AMD, and in case of repetition of the same crime the amount will be multiplied twice.
Advocate Mariam Zadoyan, the Project Expert, spoke about the regulations of women participation. She introduced the best international practices, as well as the international instrument one ensuring women’s participation in national and international levels. “Although the RA legislation set out all requirements provided in the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, that are due to gender discrimination barriers in recruitment criteria, compensation, employment contract, however in practice they are often violated by employers,” said Mariam Zadoyan.
Then she referred to legislative provisions of ensuring participation of women in legislative, executive and judicial powers, as well as to the existing problems in the Councils of Local Self Governments and in Business Companies.
Further the participants of training held discussions, where the representatives of Lori marz CSOs and LSGs referred to the women’s rights problems that existed in their region, shared experience and receive exhaustive answers for the solution of problems.
In addition they watched the video reports and video polls on the problems in the sphere and then participated in the group work.
“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.
