Тhis year’s message for International Women’s Day is “Invest in women, Accelerate progress”. To support this message and approach, dedicated session was organized at the UN House on 2 April covering “Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) for Equal Results” topic. 

Natia Natsvlishvili, UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia, welcomed the discussion participants and highlighted the progress towards Gender Equality and stressed the importance of continued and joint efforts in the journey of gender equality.

Key-note speakers of the event were Narine Haroyan, Advisor, RA Ministry of Economy, Heghine Khachikyan, Deputy Chief of Staff, RA National Assembly, Armine Mkhitaryan, National Institute of Labour and Social Research, Head of Social Assistance and Social Innovation Department, and Harutyun Hambaryan, Head of Staff, Ani community, Shirak region. 

Panel speakers introduced experience of applying gender analysis and GRB at the national and local levels, prospects for progress and development, as well as the Government’s efforts and commitment towards economic empowerment, and obstacles for gender equality. 

The event was summarized by Gayane Harutyunyan’s video-story who is a beneficiary of Women Economic Empowerment in the South Caucasus project from Amasia. She presented community’s joint efforts to introduce and apply gender analysis and GRB in Amasia, and achievements to enable participatory culture in the community. 

"Women Economic Empowerment in the South Caucasus" is implemented by UNDP in Armenia in cooperation with UN Women Georgia and with the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).

“Fostering Responsiveness, Effectiveness, Transparency, and Inclusiveness of Armenian Parliament” (FORSETI) project is being implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway and the Government of Sweden, in cooperation with the RA National Assembly.