On October 12, 2022, the Human Rights Defender Ms. Kristinne Grigoryan gave a speech during the 83rd Session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, during the online consideration of the 7th periodic report of Armenia.
The Defender gave a speech and presented the findings of the Human Rights Defender’s Office regarding the implementation of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
The Human Rights Defender referred to the formation of the Advisory Council on Women’s Rights adjunct to the Human Rights Defender, which aims at advancing women’s rights agenda.
Ms. Grigoryan also presented the war crimes committed with extreme cruelty by the Azerbaijani armed forces against female Armenian personnel, which were based on ethnic and gender hatred, and noted that the dissemination of videos depicting these crimes by the Azerbaijanis on social networks is more concerning. The Defender noted that the Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia on September 13, 2022, had a disproportionately heavy impact on women and girls, including those with disabilities.
Referring to the developments, the existing problems, and legislative gaps in the field of protection of women's rights in Armenia, the Human Rights Defender made specific recommendations:
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Adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation and establish institutional mechanisms,
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amend the criminal legislation, establishing an explicit corpus delicti for all acts of gender-based violence, including stalking; also enhance the procedural guarantees for the protection of victims by changing the rules on the investigation of such crimes under public charges in compliance with international standards.
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publish unified, comprehensive, and systematic statistics on DV cases,
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ensure access to a sufficient number of shelters and state-funded services covering all the regions with sufficient access for women with disabilities,
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take concrete measures to promote women's political and economic participation, introduce gender-sensitive budgeting practices, continue improving gender quotas with a special focus on law enforcement,
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introduce the labor legislation addressing sexual harassment in the workplace,
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enhance access of women to health care services without any discrimination inter alia by training the health professionals,
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provide targeted state support including mental health care, to displaced women and girls.
The written submission of the Human Rights Defender can be accessed through this link (in English):
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/.../INT_CEDAW_IFU_ARM_49955...
