Kurdish, Armenian, Syriac and Georgian women come together in Yerevan

Women gathered in Yerevan to discuss violence against women, ways of organising and struggling against violence on the occasion of 25 November.

Kurdish, Armenian, Syriac and Georgian women came together in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, at a meeting organised by the Free Women's Union on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.


Lianna Mihoyan, a member of the Free Women's Union, read a statement on the meaning of 25 November, stressing that the day is based on the struggle of the Mirabel sisters and that this struggle continues today.

Mihoyan commemorated the resistance of many women from Jeanne d'Arc to Sakine Cansız and stated that women's struggle is growing.

In the speeches made at the meeting, political violence against women was discussed and the need to come together against the male system and the state was emphasised.

Lianna Mihoyan said, "We have the power to protect ourselves and take care of ourselves. We must feel each other's pain and create our own organisation so that we do not accept any kind of violence and injustice done to us."

Larisa Alaverdyan, a human rights defender in Armenia, stated that violence against women is not only physical but also mental, and that work should be done to change the mentality of society.

Syriac parliamentarian Zemfira Mirzoyev stated that they live in a world where strong men have a say and women have a great responsibility in every field.

Kristine Vardanya, President of the National United Social Organisation, said that women in every country in the world are subjected to male violence.

"Our actions should not be limited to today. Because women are subjected to violence every day, it exists in all nations and religions."

Maria Karapetyan, MP for the Party of Civil Contract, said that the ongoing wars in all parts of the world have caused many women and children to suffer and be subjected to violence.

"All states are run with a male mentality and these wars are also being fought with a male mentality," Maria Karapetyan said.