International“Real men don’t hit,” demonstrators say in Yerevan
Stopping the cycle of silence
Published: Saturday December 06, 2008
Demonstrators taking part in a protest on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Nov. 25, 2008, in Yerevan. Nyree Abrahamian for the Armenian Reporter
Yerevan - The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, designated by the United Nations in 1999, is recognized each year on November 25, and each year in Armenia, more and more awareness is being raised on the issue. As conversations are initiated among men and women in Armenia about this very real problem, it is gradually becoming less of a taboo and abuse victims are gaining courage to speak out.
This year, the Women's Resource Center of Yerevan organized its third annual silent demonstration to address the issue of violence against women. Protestors carrying placards with messages like "Where are you women?" "Stop the silence," and "Real men don't hit" walked through central Yerevan beginning at the Women's Resource Center and ending up in front of the Government House in Republic Square, where they presented a package addressed to Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian containing results from recent studies and surveys and a letter concerning the need for laws against domestic violence in Armenia.
Currently, under the Armenian Criminal Code, domestic violence is not defined as a separate crime from other forms of assault, battery or sexual abuse. Crimes of domestic violence are prosecuted under general provisions and no distinction is made between strangers or family members perpetrating violent crimes. In other words, the law treats a man who gets in a fistfight over a parking spot and a man who beats his wife in the same way. And if the punishment is the same, then so is the support system the government offers the victim - virtually nonexistent. That's where NGOs like the Women's Resource Center come in, linking victims to psychological and legal counseling and medical assistance.
The government's failure to address domestic violence is especially problematic when it comes to sexual abuse. The notion that sex between marital partners may not be consensual and that a man may rape his wife is not widely accepted in Armenia, nor is marital rape defined in the law as a crime. "Talking about sexual abuse is still very taboo," says Tatevik Aghabekyan, Program Assistant of the Women's Resource Center. "When we talk about marital rape, a lot of people don't even know that it exists."
Ms. Aghabekyan, a co-founder of the Women's Resource Center, which was established in 2003, has seen gradual changes over the years in people's awareness of and openness to talking about violence against women, but she knows that the issue will not simply be resolved with the passing of time. "For women to speak up, it does take time, but things don't change on their own," she says. "We have to take active steps to bring about change. For example, at the protest, even if a lot of people do not participate by marching along with us, the issue of violence against women is being brought into people's consciousness. They're seeing that they shouldn't be afraid to talk about it."
The objective of the protest was not only to reach out to abused women, but to Armenian society as a whole. It was equally important for men to hear the message of the protesters. Yetvart Sahaghian-Majian, a Birthright Armenia volunteer from New Jersey, was among the handful of male participants in last week's protest. The young activist pointed out the effectiveness of small-scale protests in a city like Yerevan. "In comparison to protests in the U.S., Yerevan is much smaller," he said, "So whatever is done here has ripple effects. The size of the pond, so to speak, is not so big, so I think it will be much more consequential in a way." He observed that the majority of passersby actual took the papers handed to them and looked at them, while in the United States, most people will dodge you if you try to hand them a flyer.
In general, the energy at the protest was positive, and it was great to see a spirit of peaceful activism generating in people's minds as a viable vehicle for change. "I'm glad that we have these kinds of demonstrations and I'm hopeful that they will have a deep impact, both on the government and on the people," said Tsomak, an advocate for women's rights. "You can't get anything done by sitting and talking. You have to be active."
Over the week, several other initiatives, including a roundtable discussion, were organized by the Women's Resource Center and other NGOs such as Amnesty International and the Women's Rights Center. Liza Foundation, which aims at protecting women's rights through the promotion of culture and education, organized the Fifth Annual "Kin" International Film Festival, which ran from November 28 to December 2. The efforts of these organizations in addressing issues like domestic violence go far beyond the scope of one week's events. Recently, the Women's Resource Center has opened a Sexual Assault Crisis Center and Hotline, where women can receive free counseling and assistance.
"Here are the two issues," says Ms. Aghabekyan, of the obstacles that prevent women from exerting their rights, "Taboo and lack of information." And while it may take a while for the Armenian government to address these issues and take action, the Women's Resource Center is taking a straightforward approach to combating both.
