2013 – Women – agents of change: to strengthen the role of rural women in society in Armenia

logos_rural_women

rural-womenco-funded by the Rhône-Alpes region of France

Project Partners:  WECF France (Rhône Alpes) and AWHHE (Armenia)

Municipalities covered : Ditak (Ararat), Voskevan (Tavush), Saghmosavan (Aragatsotn) and Solak (Kotayk). The communities of Ditak and Voskevan were part of the 2012 project, their motivation, but also the need for continuity and optimization of efforts explains the reason why those were selected to join the present project. The community of Solak was also part of the project in the framework of GEF-funded activities of the 2012 project. AWHHE has worked in the municipality of Saghmosavan, knows the community needs and especially its potential as a project participants in terms of the activism of local women’s group and the support of local authorities.

Project Dates: October 2013-October 2014

[“sommaire fr”] [ “summary arm”]  

Overall objective of the project:

To contribute to the global goal of eradicating poverty by 2015, the project aims to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment by encouraging wider involvement of Armenian rural women in the sustainable development through active participation in social and economic life at the community level.

Specific objectives:

  1. Strengthen Resource Centres for Women (created in the previous project) through the promotion of small support networks and exchange of experience.
  2. Promote income generation for women through training on sustainable agriculture and income generating activities in four villages targeted by the project (Solak, Saghmosavan, and Ditak Voskevan)
  3. Strengthen the role of women within communities and enable them also to reach out through exchanges with women farmers in the Rhône Alpes region.

Planned activities:

1. Building resource centers for women

1.1 Organize one public event on the occasion of the International Day of Rural Women for the official launch of the project with participants from four villages.
1.2 Organize a meeting to exchange experience in resource centers for women Ditak / or Voskevan with active women in the villages of Solak and Saghmosavan.
1.3 Identify a local coordinator for each village and organize a workshop on networking for four coordinators to create the core of a small network of rural women in Armenia.
1.4 Arrange a visit for active women from 6 villages in other parts of Kotayk, Armavir and Ararat (Fantan Qaghsi and / Kotayk region, and Lukashin Taronik / Armavir region, and Hayanist Khachpar / Ararat region) involved in the project in 2012 (GEF ) in a resource center created.
1.5 Equipping centers with tools agricultural seeds, fertilizers …

2. Promoting the participation of women in sustainable development of rural communities

2.1 Organize 4 training sessions (one in each participating village) for women in sustainable agriculture and the creation of economic activities in rural Armenia.
2.2 Organize the competition for the best ideas to generate income (a selection committee will be set up with external experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Agriculture Support Centers and the Steering Committee of the project)
2.3 Organize training on the development of plans for implementation of projects for women authors of the 4 best business ideas (1 project per village will be selected).
2.4 Provide trained women with financial support to implement their ideas (based on agreed conditions / criteria (eg own contribution in kind). Each winner will be awarded € 1,500 to help implement the project in close collaboration with the AWHHE team.

3. Exchange of experience and dissemination of lessons learned

3.1 A publication on rural women active in Armenia will be developed with name, photo, phone number and description of the project. The stories selected will be highlighted and used for other women to create economic activity in their communities.
3.2 The four selected women and two representatives of AWHHE will visit Rhône Alpes to meet women engaged in rural activities and thereby enhance their motivation and capacities. Their portraits will be included in the brochure “Portraits of Women and active solidarity” that will be produced by WECF France.

Outcomes:

  1. Resource Centres for women and Ditak Voskevan strengthened through networking with business center and agricultural Solak Saghmosavan. Centres and Saghmosavan Solak will be strengthened to better reflect the needs of women.
  2. The role of women in sustainable development of rural communities will be strengthened by the identification and implementation of the four best project ideas.
  3. Knowledge and skills of rural women Armenian and French on various economic activities related to agriculture will be strengthened as a result of the exchange visit.
  4. A publication on the economic success of rural women will be available for working women interested in other rural communities of Armenia.
  5. An exchange visit and study in France will be organized for women winners of the best project ideas (activity to be implemented in the framework of the Professional Support)

Project Launch