A local Armenian charity Women’s Resource Center Armenia (WRCA) is one of just 20 organisations from around the world to receive a With and For Girls Award this year.
As part of the award package, WRCA will receive US$50,000 of flexible funding and capacity building support.
The With and For Girls Awards is a global initiative to identify and support strong local organisations working with and for girls.
The charity – based in Yerevan, Armenia – is recognised for its work to equip young women in Yerevan and the surrounding regions with the necessary education and support to help them become active citizens.
Societal attitudes in Armenia mean that men are encouraged from boyhood to take on leadership positions while women are relegated to secondary roles. Traditional female stereotypes dominate the media, advertising and even children’s textbooks.
Gender-based violence, trafficking and harassment are rife. Almost one in ten Armenian women are subjected to occasional or regular beatings by a husband or partner, according to a study supported by the United Nations Population Fund. Poverty and unemployment further fuel the violence.
WRCA has set up a crisis centre, which offers legal aid and counselling to victims of domestic violence. It offers training courses on women’s rights and gender-based violence, while simultaneously lobbying and advocating for changes in legislation that will address gender discrimination in all its forms. The centre also provides a telephone hotline for emergencies.
WRCA provides a safe space where women can share their experiences, educate themselves and receive the support they need to better their lives and take control of their futures. It organises regular roundtable discussions as well as a career club for women.
The organisation offers prenatal programmes for pregnant women and sexual health courses for adolescent girls. WRCA has benefited 2,000 people so far, 65 of whom are girls.
Muna Wehbe, CEO of Stars Foundation –
“These 20 outstanding organisations demonstrate the power of grassroots movements and girl leadership to effect change, both in communities and in the world at large. The Collective is proud to be supporting the With and For Girls Award winners with flexible funding, which is still a rare asset for most grassroots organisations. We want to encourage more funders to trust and invest in girls to address the challenges that they face in their everyday lives. By doing so they are changing the future for the millions of girls worldwide who face discrimination simply for identifying as a girl.”ENDS
ENDS