The overall goal of the project “Combat Domestic Violence against Women in Armenia” is to decrease the number of women victims of domestic violence and their children in Armenia through operation of the Emergency Shelter with Comprehensive Services.

Main goals to be achieved are to empower women-victims of domestic violence and their children by providing assistance to stop the cycle of violence and achieve independence and safety, self-sufficiency and a peaceful life free from violence through Operating of the Emergency Shelter with Comprehensive Services as well as to raise awareness of the community, change the mentality and the attitude of the society to the problem of domestic violence against women through conducting trainings with journalists in order to positively highlight the issue of domestic violence in Mass Media.

In order to achieve goals and objectives Women’s Rights Center operates the National Hot Line service and provide women-victims of domestic violence with peer counseling, psychological and legal assistance, crisis intervention counseling, community referrals and information, as well as with access to the Women’s Support and Drop-in Center, Emergency Shelter with Comprehensive Services. It also provides free housing, meals and clothing with Comprehensive Services (proper care, safety, employment, health care, individual psychological and legal counseling, school and kindergarten for children) for the victims of domestic violence and their children for up to 16 weeks through Operation of the Emergency Shelter in a confidential location.

Women’s Health Club meetings are organized once per month with the duration of 2 hours during which women are provided with psychological assistance. Meetings for women-victims with medical professionals also are carried out.

The Children Dance and Performance Group is another achievement that WRC can be proud of. Children of women-victims suffered from domestic violence as well as children from usual families are taught to sing and dance national Armenian songs and dances. Children are very enthusiastic about their two-day meetings with professionals per week and parents more cheerful.

Two trainings were also organized for journalists of TV, Radio, magazines, and newspapers on DV issue to raise their awareness and knowledge in order to present the problem on right way.

All WRC services serve as basis for case studies to find out the scales, forms, geography, causes and consequences of domestic violence for further use in the advocacy and lobbying process.

The project became possible to implement thanks to the financial support of the Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy in Yerevan.