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Women with disabilities are more vulnerable conditioned by their gender and disability: they are more often subjected to discrimination and violence. There are problems that require legislative regulations for their solution: the Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Labor and Social Affairs Heriknaz Tigranyan said at the meeting with the representatives of Agate Rights Defense Center For Women With Disabilities NGO. In order to identify the problems of the sector, the non-governmental organization held focus group meetings, based on the results of which a number of proposals were made. They were debated in the Committee on April 18.

Heriknaz Tigranyan noted that some of the proposals refer to the legislative body and, in particular, to the Standing Committee on Labor and Social Affairs. According to the Committee Chair, legislative solutions should be given to some issues. She mentioned that there are proposals aimed at the executive body, the NGO and the Mass Media.

“Unfortunately, we have violence in the family and society, especially against women with disabilities, who are, in fact, double victims because they are deprived of the protection of their rights,” Heriknaz Tigranyan said.

The programme EU 4 Gender Equality in 6 countries of the Eastern Partnership, within the framework of which focus group meetings are held, is highlighted by the fact that once again a message is sent to the public that cases of violence in families are frequent.

“Speaking of these problems by the civil society should be an impulse for the decision-makers that it is necessary to make sufficient efforts to prevent disabled women who are subjected to violence from these phenomena,” the Committee Chair stated. She proposed, in particular, to criminalize domestic violence in order to separate it from the notion of ordinary violence.

Some regulatory mechanisms are also needed, which will enable the victim of violence to be removed from the family by giving them shelters. Here, according to Heriknaz Tigranyan, the civil society also expects the support of state bodies. “In this sector, a change of policy is needed to bring our behavior and regulations in line with Armenia’s international obligations,” the Chair of the Committee said.

The expert of the programme Gayane Grigoryan emphasized the participation of the local civil non-governmental organizations in recording gender-based violence against women with disabilities through communication, protection of interests and improved equal opportunities.