The Women’s Support Center in Yerevan advocates to change the culture of shame and stigma surrounding sexual assault and domestic violence.

Why we care: Over a half of women in Armenia report physical or emotional abuse, yet the topic is taboo and lifesaving services are denied to survivors.

How we’re solving this: Providing shelter, legal advice, and counseling for women survivors and their children while changing the social and legal structures that condone violence.

“Women leaving the shelter are stronger, their self esteem and confidence are built up, and they are empowered to start life on their own, away from abuse and violence.” – Mary Matosian, Executive Director of the Women’s Support Center

In January 2013, Armenia’s government once again failed to pass legislation in support of survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. There are no legal provisions or social programs to protect and support survivors. Given this hostile context, less than a half of all women affected by violence seek help.

The Women’s Support Center is the only shelter in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan, and one of only two domestic violence shelters in the country. It provides critical services including counseling, legal assistance, employment consultations, life-skills and health education classes, and support to children of survivors to enroll in educational programs. The shelter houses an average of 30 women and 50 children yearly, in addition to providing counseling to over 70 women in individual and group settings. Through the shelter’s wide spectrum of services, 96% of the women in its program have been able to restart their lives in safety.  

In addition to providing critical direct services, the Women’s Support Center advocates to change the culture of shame and stigma surrounding sexual assault and domestic violence. It raises awareness of the issue of domestic violence in the media and through social networks and engages in roundtable discussions with youth to change patriarchal stereotypes that justify violence against women. The Center’s advocacy and outreach has been reflected in the growing number of calls to its 24-hour hotline, as every day more women break the silence to seek services and refuge from batterers. In 2012 the Armenian government recorded 277 cases of abuse and 5 deaths of women by their violent partners, while non-profit organizations serving survivors received 947 cases and over 2,000 hotline calls.

This project will enable the Women’s Support Center to maintain its shelter and counseling services to allow more women to heal from violence, establish careers, and start independent lives.