The Republic of Armenia has officially ratified almost all international legal acts related to gender issues and, being a member of the UN and the Council of Europe and an independent state focused on the integration with Europe, has undertaken certain commitments not only to ratify the most important international legal documents, but also to comply the national legislation with the provisions of these documents (Beijing Platform for Action, The UN Convention “On the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women”, as well as The RA Government Action Plan for 2012-2015, Gender Policy Concept Paper approved by the RA Government, RA Sustainable Development Program Documents, “CEPA” more generally (in the section of Gender Equality), in the document “2020” on Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination more generally (Gender Equality)).
However, based on the requirements of these important documents, the following important issues remain unsolved:
- Low level of effective mechanisms for children and gender sensitive budgeting at the national and local levels, as well as among CSOs and CSO Coalitions. There is a need to improve, monitor, promote these mechanisms and increase the involvement of CSOs in them.
- Low level of participation mechanisms of CSOs in discussions concerning the RA facilitated budget and in the processes of socialization. There is a need to improve, monitor, promote these mechanisms and increase the involvement of CSOs in them.
Final actions
The goal of the proposed project is as follows:
To address the above-mentioned problems and achieve results in public finance management, Women’s Development “Resource Center” Foundation, within the framework of “Budget for everyone”, will ensure the joint efforts and participation of “WINNET Armenia” Network of Women Resource Centers, as well as other CSOs dealing with women’s issues, in ensuring a sustainable dialogue with the Government and local self-governing bodies, as well as in the development and improvement of reasonable public policies, promotion and monitoring of the implementation of those policies.
In ten enlarged municipalities of three provinces of Armenia, Women’s Development “Resource Center” Foundation and six member-organizations of “WINNET Armenia” Network of Women Resource Centers will implement the following:
- In ten enlarged municipalities of RA Syunik and Vayots Dzor provinces, the monitoring of public policies on the key issues and budgets will be carried out, as well as conclusions and recommendations will be made in accordance with public authorities and local self-governing bodies.
- Will ensure the development of sectoral potential of CSOs, LSGs and other stakeholders to increase the effectiveness and sustainability of the project.
- Will reveal the key issues in the main areas of the project, as well as develop and improve sectoral public policies regarding them through expert seminars and community meetings in the format “Town Hall” and “Chatham House”.
- Will develop IT experimental applications to assess the effectiveness of child and gender sensitive budgeting in the municipalities.
- The final meeting of the project will be held on the “GTG” platform to present the results of the project /stakeholders, Government, local self-governing bodies, experts/.
The project will promote the cooperation between “WINNET Armenia” Network, other CSOs, RA Government, LSGs and other stakeholders, as well as the exchange of experience and information, the improvement and promotion of sectoral public policies.
Duration: 01.06.2018 – 31.05.2019 (12 months)
Total Project Budget: 24 947 880 AMD
“Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” action: 22 448 200 AMD
Location: Syunik, Vayots Dzor and Tavush marzes
Implementing Partners: Women’s Development “Resource Center” Foundation; partners: five member-organizations of “WINNET Armenia” Network of Women Resource Centers
Second Project: “Strengthening the Winnet Armenia Coalition Network”
WINNET Armenia network has been expanded within the framework of Constructive Dialogue Initiative as a result of ‘Budget for All’ project. It has 11 members and operates in 5 regions of Armenia: Syunik, Vayots Dzor, Tavush, Lori and Aragatsotn. The coalition network activities are aimed at solving two important problems in public finance management sector:
To contribute to the elaboration and implementation of effective child and gender-sensitive budgeting mechanisms in the local budgets of consolidated communities of Syunik, Vayots Dzor and Tavush regions.
Improve CSOs participation mechanisms in public debates and public activities connected with RA state budget, as well as enhance their involvement in improving these mechanisms, monitoring and advocacy.
The overall objective of the project is to foster in raising impact of WINNET Armenia Coalition Network in public finance management sector through the development of internal and external network procedures and sectoral capacity-building.
The proposed project approach is to expand WINNET Armenia Coalition Network by involving new and associate members, increase the awareness about the network and it’s role in sectoral policy development and advocacy.
The project is planning to:
Develop plans on WINNET Armenia Coalition Network’s two target areas: monitoring and improvement of public policies and network strategy and fundraising.
Develop code of ethics for WINNET Armenia Coalition Network including conflict of interest policy by carrying out the activities set by the rules and within the program reporting period and achieve results.
Develop WINNET Armenia Network’s plan on monitoring and improvement of public policies on women’s rights protection and monitor according the plan.
Create a webpage that will cover the activities of WINNET Armenia Coalition Network and develop information package. Enhance the media capacity in covering gender sensitive information.
The project will foster the development of WINNET Armenia Coalition Network and also will promote cooperation, exchange of experience and information between CSOs, RA Government, local governments and other stakeholders, improving and promoting sectoral public policies.
Duration: 01.01.2019 – 30.06.2019 (12 months)
Project Overall Budget: 9,154,000 AMD
Constructive Dialogue Initiative contribution: 7,404,000 AMD
Location: Syunik, Vayots Dzor, Tavush, Lori and Aragatsotn regions
Implementing organization: Women Development Resource Center Foundation, partners: 11 member organizations of WINNET Armenia Coalition Network
