The  Council on Women’s issues has started its work

On December 10, the first session of the Council on Women’s Issues led by Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan was held. Tigran Avinyan made a speech in which he said:

“Hello, dear colleagues,

I am pleased to welcome you to the first meeting of the  Council on Women’s issues. Day selection is not accidental. Today the world is celebrating International Human Rights Day in celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which declared on December 10, 1948, the inalienable rights of all human beings, regardless of sex, age, race, language and origin.

Equality is a fundamental human right. It is enshrined in all international human rights treaties and implies fair and impartial treatment of people in various spheres of public life. On the basis of this universal principle, the Women’s Council is committed to promoting the equal participation of women and men in the country’s social, , economic and political platforms, strengthening the equal rights and opportunities of men and women, and ensuring a safe and non-discriminatory environment for every citizen.

Although significant steps have been taken to promote equality, abuses, discrimination and violence in women and around the world continue to be one of the most widespread human rights abuses in the world and in our country.

Aware of the problems of inadequate implementation of state policy on equality between men and women and inadequate provision of legislation, I hope that within this council we will be able to find more innovative, targeted and in-depth analysis solutions.

I think everyone knows the purpose of the Council. I would like to single out and redraft some of them, that I consider to be a priority.

• Eliminate violence in all areas of social life – in the family, at work, on the street. Everyone, regardless of sex, has the right to live in an environment free of violence and hatred. And if this fundamental human right is violated, the state is obliged to restore it.

• Non-discrimination in all areas of public life. Whether it is getting a job or getting a job, discrimination on any ground should be a reprehensible and punishable act for us․

• Economic empowerment of women. It is no secret that women have a great potential for human capital, but for many objective and subjective reasons it is not realized. The State, through broad public cooperation, should ensure the conditions necessary for the realization of women’s human capital, thereby promoting economic equality for men and women and promoting inclusive economic development. Very specific actions have already been envisaged in the framework of the “Work for Armenia” strategy and I think these actions will be implemented in a very short period of time.

• And the last one is about the Institute of General Prevention. We are talking about discrimination, violence prevention activities, including elimination of existing stereotypes, exclusion of hate speech. In this context, the role of the school and the media is particularly important, which should exclude the dissemination of discriminatory content.

I believe that the above steps will lead to the creation of an environment where my two daughters, our wives, mothers, all women, citizens of the Republic of Armenia and non-citizens living in our country, can be fully realized, ensuring the harmonious development and prosperity of the whole community.”