The project will contribute to a more inclusive and effective local governance in Armenia through political empowerment of women and promotion of youth leadership

Yerevan, 25 February 2019 - Today, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia, in partnership with the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development and OxYGen Foundation and with funding from the UK Good Governance Fund launched the “Women in Politics” project. The project aims to strengthen the role of women in Armenian society, decision-making bodies, as well as fostering the engagement of youth in local governance and development through building on already existing capacities and upscaling the results achieved during the recent years.

Judith Farnworth, Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Armenia, Vache Terteryan, RA First Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Development, Dmitry Mariyasin UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia, and Margarita Hakobyan, Executive Director of OxYGen Foundation, welcomed the participants of the event, including representatives of the government, municipalities, diplomatic community, international organizations, civil society, members of the Parliament, as well as experts, women and youth leaders.

Ambassador Farnworth said: “Ultimately this project is for women. It will work with women to promote political empowerment, youth leadership, inclusive local governance, and public awareness and advocacy. The UK Government is supporting this initiative through the Good Governance Fund, which provides financial and expert assistance to a select group of countries with a commitment to implementing governance and economic reforms for the benefit of the population. I’m confident that UNDP and OxYGen will deliver excellent results.”

“Huge potential exists among women and youth in Armenia, but their talents and skills are often underutilized, and their participation and representation in decision-making processes at local level remains low. Together with our partners, UNDP will support the policy reforms for women and youth empowerment, as well as scale up innovative models for their engagement in local-level decision-making processes,” said Dmitry Mariyasin, UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia. 

After a comprehensive research on women participation in local politics, the project will create a roster of trainers/community mobilizers who will train and mentor active women and youth leaders from different backgrounds interested in local politics. As a result, a broad network of empowered women and youth will be ready and able to contribute to the community and country development processes.

The project, through public awareness campaigns, will support nationwide debates on women and youth political participation, as well as engage them in policy dialogue through development and testing of various innovative citizen engagement models.

During the launch event, women and youth leaders and experts discussed the key obstacles for unleashing women’s full potential at local and national levels, the challenges and opportunities for women and youth engagement in local level political activities in Armenia, as well as the mechanisms and policies prompting their participation in local politics.

For further information please contact:

Hovhannes Sarajyan

Communications Analyst

UNDP in Armenia

Tel: (+374 60) 530000 (128)  

Mobile: (+374 91) 420122

Email: hovhannes.sarajyan@undp.org