Complaints to the Ombudsman Regarding Domestic Violence Cases Have Doubled

The number of complaints addressed to the Human Rights Defender concerning cases of domestic violence has doubled in 2019, with around 100 complaints received, compared to about 50 in the previous year.

In both 2018 and 2019, the majority of complaints to the Human Rights Defender were related to violence inflicted by husbands on their wives. Protecting women's rights, preventing all forms of violence against women, and combating it are significant priorities for the Ombudsman's work.

The increase in complaints is also attributed to an awareness program conducted by the Ombudsman last year, under which legislative options for protecting victims of domestic violence were filmed and presented to the public under the hashtag #demonbrntun. Videos promoting equality in the family were shared, and posters were placed at bus stops in Yerevan, providing citizens the opportunity to activate pictures through the Arloopa app to view the message.

Guidelines on how to contact the Human Rights Defender in cases of domestic violence have also been prepared in Armenian, English, Russian, and French, along with materials in Braille. Additionally, a separate manual has been developed for the capacity building of the Ombudsman's staff, which is applied when conducting conversations with individuals affected by domestic violence. The guides intended for citizens have been distributed in the regions.

In most cases of complaints addressed to the Human Rights Defender, consultations and guidance have been provided.