“Melinee” International Forum

On March 8, dedicated to International Women’s Day, the “Melinee” International Forum took place in Vanadzor. The forum included discussions on the obstacles women face on the path to leadership, achievements in the field of women’s rights, and upcoming priorities.

In addition to the discussions, participants watched the “Mari” performance, created based on the real stories of beneficiaries of the Women’s Rights House organization. The performance was inspired by Hovhannes Tumanyan’s poem “Maro” and addressed physical, sexual, psychological, and digital violence against women, early marriages, labor rights, and a number of systemic violations. The performance was developed and presented by the Gyumri Youth Theater Group.

The forum was organized within the framework of cooperation between the cities of Strasbourg and Vanadzor and under the #MELINEE program, named after the legendary Armenian woman Meline Manouchian. The program was implemented as part of Franco-Armenian decentralized cooperation, in collaboration with partner organizations, including Women’s Rights House, NGO Center, CIDFF, AFFDU, and La Cité des Lionnes.