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Yerevan, 21 December 2009 in Tsakhkadzor conference |
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International Conference on “Perspectives to reach gender equality in Armenia: political and legal aspects” Yerevan, 21 December 2009 – A three-day international conference on “Perspectives to reach gender equality in Armenia: political and legal aspects” opened in Tsakhkadzor Writers’ Union House. It was jointly organized by the Association of Women with University Education (AWUE), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation-Armenia.
The conference is conducted under the auspices of the RoA National Assembly, the UN Armenia and OSCE Yerevan offices.
The draft of the RoA law “On provision of Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Women and Men,” drafts of the RoA Gender Policy Concept and its implementation strategy, as well as reports on the UN strategy and the European institutional policy in the field of gender equality were presented to the participants for further discussion.
At the opening of the conference, Ms. Arevik Petrosyan, the Vice-Chairman of the RoA National Assembly, Ms. Laylee Moshiri, the UN Resident Coordinator a.i., Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, Head of OSCE Office in Yerevan, as well as Ms. Jemma Hasratyan, the President of AWUE welcomed the participants.
Welcoming the guests, Ms. Laylee Moshiri. said, “Although the principles of equal rights and equal opportunities are reflected in major international agreements, there is still a long way to go to ensure due enforcement of these principles in real life. This is a reality for the countries worldwide, as well as for Armenia. Gender-related stereotypes, domestic violence and discrimination persist, and women remain largely underrepresented in top decision-making on all levels and all branches of the government.”
She further stressed that “We, the United Nations family, are standing by to support the National Assembly, the Government of Armenia and the civil society to promote gender equality. This work is a shared responsibility, and the joint initiatives of UN Agencies, the National Assembly, the government and the civil society are an important manifestation of this effort.”
The conference featured participation of parliamentarians,, representatives of the RoA Government, political parties, and the civil society, as well as prominent scientists, experts and public figures from Armenia and other CIS countries. |
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