Training on the CEDAW Convention and its Optional Protocol took place on October 26, 30 2009 in Yerevan State University Guest House. The training was organized by Women’s Right Center NGOs for representatives of Ombudsman Office, Governmental institutions and different local NGOs, working in the field of Human's Rights protection.

The training was directed to build capacity towards the effective use of the Optional Protocol to CEDAW as a tool to protect and promote women’s human rights under CEDAW Convention among the mentioned institutions and local NGOs.

The training started with the trainers’ opening speech: they welcomed all participants, gave brief summary of the meeting’s purpose, its procedures from the very start. Later, the participants were invited to introduce themselves and state their expectations regarding the training. Appropriate materials where disseminated among all participants, in order to make their participation more effective and useful.

The training included 3 sessions. First of them was on “Using CEDAW and its principles in context of national women’s human rights advocacy”.
At the second session the participants were introduced to the OP of the CEDAW: Stages of the communication and inquiry procedures.
During these two sessions, the case studies were given to participants that made training more interactive.
The third session was devoted to the discussions, answering the questions of participants and receiving different suggestions concerning to building strategies needed at the national level, the importance of social and political support, strategies for successful law reform, litigation and enforcement of decisions of the Committee.

The training gave an opportunity to national NGO's to recognize the mechanisms of usage of the CEDAW Convention and Optional Protocol to CEDAW as an instrument for protection and promotion of women's rights in Armenia.

Thanks to the conducted training, Women’s Rights Center managed to raise awareness on CEDAW Convention and Optional Protocol to CEDAW among different national NGOs, expand their views on the meaning of gender discrimination.

After the training, the NGOs participating in the training armed with new knowledge will get involved in the problem solution concerning the usage of the CEDAW and OP CEDAW at national level, which in its turn will contribute to the growth of number of gender based positively solved problems of women who applied to law-enforcement agencies and courts. All these activities will also result in emphasizing and raising the role of NGO sector in the society and improve the role of the Convention in the national legislation as a tool for protection of women rights. It will play an important role in preventing and decreasing the extent of discrimination in Armenia. Undoubtedly, implementation of the project was an effective step to the building of strong civil society in Armenia.