New Services for Victims of Violence to Be Provided from This Year: Zaruhi Batoyan

The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia, Zaruhi Batoyan, participated in a working meeting organized by the non-governmental organization "Crisis Center for Sexual Violence," aimed at implementing an inter-agency response to cases of sexual violence, involving representatives from various sectors.

"The programs of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs are mostly aimed at providing support and protection for victims of violence, but we also place great importance on preventive work. It is essential to overcome existing stereotypical approaches because, in many cases, seeking help itself is a stereotype and an obstacle. We must work to make support provision methods more accessible and affordable for those in need of them," said Zaruhi Batoyan.

Batoyan expressed gratitude to the representatives of the "Crisis Center for Sexual Violence" for their ten years of work, emphasizing their extensive experience in creating state support mechanisms and developing state policy. The minister deemed the empowerment of women and girls as crucial in protecting them from violence, considering it one of the most important tools for violence prevention. Among such tools, she mentioned the expansion of education and employment opportunities and overcoming stereotypical approaches.

"Starting from 2020, for the first time, new services for victims of violence will be provided with state support—support centers and shelters will operate in all regions. Naturally, these services are insufficient, and we aim to expand them even further," the minister noted.

Tatevik Aghabekyan, the program manager of the "Crisis Center for Sexual Violence," presented the center's extensive experience, existing issues, and legislative gaps. She stated that they are the only organization providing support to victims of sexual violence, informing that they have already begun training representatives from various regional organizations.

"Between 2016 and 2020, we worked with 73 individuals, of whom 66 are female and 7 are male. 35 are minors, and 38 are adults. Currently, our working group's goal is to create a platform where we can discuss and comprehensively address existing issues and understand the effective solutions to them," Aghabekyan said.

At the end of the meeting, Minister Zaruhi Batoyan reaffirmed her readiness for active collaboration for the benefit of women and girls," the statement concludes.