`16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence 2025` campaign  starts in Armenia 

ArmInfo.  The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Armenia office and the SafeYou app team, together with partner organizations, held an event as part of the "16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence 2025" campaign. The event focused on issues such as rapidly evolving manifestations of violence in the digital environment, mechanisms, and gaps in their prevention and response.

According to the UNFPA press service, in his welcoming remarks,  Vassilis Maragos, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, noted that  while Armenia has made significant progress in combating violence  against women through improved legislation and investment in  expanding the capacity of service providers, online violence  represents a new dimension that requires attention and joint action.

In turn, Lusine Sargsyan, Head of the UNFPA Armenia office,  emphasized the particular importance of public awareness-raising  activities. "They will help people gain digital literacy and prevent  violence. The fight against online violence also requires the efforts  of a multidisciplinary community and all stakeholders, so that  together we can make the digital space safe and truly serve its  purpose, becoming a platform for human connection, leadership, and  empowerment," she noted.

In her speech, Armenian Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan emphasized  that combating gender-based violence is a clear goal of the Armenian  government, and that tangible achievements have been made. "The  16-day campaign is just one highlight of the work accomplished. I am  also very pleased that for several years now, I have seen not only  women and girls but also men on such platforms. This demonstrates our  shared commitment to combat violence with united efforts," she added.  In her speech, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia  Lusine Kocharyan noted the need to introduce new mechanisms to  protect and support women who have experienced domestic violence, as  well as the use of modern digital tools in this area to prevent  cases, early detection, and ensure long-term results.

UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia Francoise Jacob noted that  preventing digital violence is a serious challenge, as existing  protection systems, especially in the context of the rapid  development of artificial intelligence, are still not fully  functional. "Despite the UN having established international  standards and resolutions related to digital security and AI  governance, we still have much to do. In this effort to create a safe  digital environment where everyone can learn, work, and express  themselves without fear, both online and offline, the contribution of  everyone is crucial: governments, national institutions, the  international community, and the private sector," Jacob emphasized.

During the event, Lilit Shakhulyan, Operations Director of Safe YOU,  and Georgi Khachatryan, Head of the Police Department for  Professional and Methodological Support of the Ministry of Internal  Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, presented the results of  integrating Safe YOU alerts into the Ministry of Internal Affairs'  Operational Management Center system. Thanks to this partnership,  supported by the United Nations Population Fund and the European  Union, Safe YOU app users can also send alerts with their location to  the Police Operations Center system with the tap of a "Call" button.

The event was held as part of the "Promoting the Protection of Human  Rights and Strengthening National Institutions" program, co-financed  by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations  Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund, and  UNICEF.