Anna Hakobyan advances anti-domestic violence campaign

Anna Hakobyan, the wife of Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and executive director of the My Step Foundation, is calling for domestic violence to be criminalized as a standalone offense as part of an initiative to combat domestic violence in Armenia.

As part of her “Learning is Trendy” movement, Hakobyan has released the first full video in a series dedicated to combating domestic violence, outlining her approach to addressing the issue and the steps she plans to take.

Hakobyan said the model of the Armenian family that conceals various forms of violence should be replaced with a model of a violence-free, harmonious and safe family based on mutual love and respect.

She said Armenia needs clear, realistic, effective and victim-centered legislative and law-enforcement mechanisms.

To this end, Hakobyan has initiated discussions with independent experts from Armenia and the diaspora, relevant officials, as well as women MPs who have previously worked in this area, to examine gaps in existing legislation, law-enforcement issues and current challenges.

The first stage of the initiative envisages drafting comprehensive and effective legislation and submitting it to parliament for debate.

Hakobyan also plans to invite women MPs from the two opposition factions to join the work.

The second stage is planned to begin after the law is adopted and enters into force. It will include a broad public awareness campaign, training for employees of relevant authorities, and effective implementation of the new regulations.

At the same time, a group of prominent experts is preparing a nationwide study aimed at collecting reliable and as comprehensive as possible data on the actual prevalence of domestic violence against women in Armenia.