“It should not come to the extreme point so that the woman will apply to the lawyer for the protection of her rights. We are ready to support the women even in case of everyday problems,” Nelly Harutyunyan, the Head of Gegharkunik Branch of the Armenian Young Lawyers Association said at the training on “Women’s Rights”.
The training in Gavar was organized in the framework of “Influencing the Women’s Rights Agenda” project 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.
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. He said that 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.
Advocate Mariam Zadoyan, the Project Expert spoke about the domestic and international legal instruments on labor rights, and introduced the current issues of concern. According to her currently the legislation lacks the provisions which protect the individuals who want to exercise their rights in the court against the employer, from retaliation of the latter. Women also lack legal protection if subjected to sexual harassment because the sexual harassment is not considered as a legal problem.
AYLA legal adviser Tatevik Manukyan spoke about the property rights of the women in the framework of marriage, devours and inheritance. She said that currently the property rights arose in cases when the spouses did not register the actual marriage and the property obtained during the marriage is alienated by the husband. She spoke about the non-registered income of spouses and other issues as well.
She also spoke about the rights of reproductive health, including the legal problems of sex-selective abortion.
Mariam Zadoyan, spoke about legislative provisions of ensuring participation of women in legislative, executive and judicial powers, and local self government. According to her the RA legislation does not include the norms which shall ensure the women’s participation in the local self government in the communities (Except Yerevan Council of Elderly). The norms providing women’s participation in the Councils of the Business Companies are also missing.
Mariam Zadoyan also spoke about the RA obligations under the International Treaties from the aspect of the protection of women’s rights and about the practical ways of application of the women’s rights.
During the seminar the participants raised the issues of concern through questions and answers, watched the video reports on the problems in the sphere and participated in the group work.
