With robust advocacy of the UN and civil society organizations (CSO), Armenia made significant strides in increasing the share of women in senior positions as legislators, senior officials and managers. In 2022, national and local quotas for gender equality were applied for the second time, translating into increase of women representation in local government councils from 10% to 30% and as head of communities from 2% to 5.5%. Along with policy support, the UN continued pre-electoral and post-electoral support to women leaders. As a testimony of success, more than 24% of all elected women community council members were UN beneficiaries.

2022 was prominent in terms of establishment of councils, including the Public Council on Women’s Rights Adjunct to the Human Rights Defender Office (HRDO), and 15 Women and Youth Advisory Councils adjunct to the head of communities. The UN and partners capacitated those structures as independent platforms to factor in women’s agenda in governance processes.

In a bid to curb gender-based violence SafeYOU, a UN-supported Armenian app, has transformed into a global platform for protection, prevention, and prosecution of gender-based violence. With 60,000 women already using it in Armenia, Georgia, and Iraq, SafeYOU plans to expand to Africa and Arab states. In 2022, out of 300 submissions, 61 countries, and 20 finalists, Safe YOU became a winner of the Joint Innovation Challenge 2022.

Last year, UN continued to challenge gender stereotypes and harmful practices. In this respect, the nation-wide research conducted by the UN and partners on gender-biased sex selection (GBSS) offers current analysis on the prevalence and causes of son preference and selective abortions. To eliminate stereotypical portrayals of men and women, the UN led data-driven national communication campaigns, through initiative like “Papa Schools,” “Caring for equality” courses, family corners.

Confronting the intersecting forms of discriminatory treatment, the UN published "50 Women with Disabilities Who Changed the World", celebrating the achievements of women with disabilities in human history on the one hand and empowering them, on the other. Manushak, is among the women with disabilities, who has formed her business with UN support.

UN’s women’s economic empowerment strategy also targeted displaced women through, for instance, improved qualification in garment footwear design and modelling; rural women through supporting their businesses to ensure sufficient sales and profitability; and refugee women through handicraft skills development.

Empowering women and girls through technology has been another winning strategy for the UN. about artificial intelligence and inspired by an award granted by the UN’s Accelerator #5 project, Ani, a 16-year-old girl, created her own startup – GirloPolis, with the “goal to unite, motivate and encourage girls to think about the ICT sphere. We will try to create a community where girls support each other.”

These and other aspects of gender equality achievements and challenges were reflected in the concluding remarks of the 7th periodic CEDAW Review of Armenia to foster elimination of all forms of discrimination against women in the country.