World Vision Armenia convenes child protection dialogue in Armenia to contribute to integral National Strategy Development

World Vision convened "Child rights protection and well-being in Armenia" national conference within its efforts to contribute to the development of National Child Protection Strategy as integral documents that address child protection and education issues in the country. The conference was jointly organized with Save the Children Armenia Representative Office and SOS – Children’s Villages Armenian Charity Foundation.

Together with Government officials, international charity and government organizations as well as civil society representatives and community children, the conference centre staged child rights and protection situation in Armenia.

World Vision Armenia National Director Zhirayr Edilyan and the president of Child Protection Network in Armenia Mira Antonyan presented the Child Protection Index findings for Armenia, urging the stakeholder to consider and take action to highlight identified issues in related strategies .

Along with official greetings and speeches, the conference hosted side events - thematic discussions, including child social protection, juvenile justice, and mainstream and inclusive education, as well as preschool education, child healthcare and child participation. Of special interest was the side discussions held by the children and school students coming from Armenia’s rural and urban communities. 

World Vision’s child protection programme manager Aida Muradyan publicized the acute findings in Armenia’s communities revealed during World Vision’s Child Protection Baseline Survey. Namely the shocking facts that 7 in 10 children experience some form of psychological or physical punishment in Armenia (6-14 age group), while one in three children under age of one experiences physical and/or psychological aggression. Baseline also raised up the issue of lack social protection services and awareness about existing CP mechanisms.

 “The conference collected important data and packaged ideas and solutions to bring to the government’s agenda while planning for the national strategies on social issues and child protection, as well as formulating the agenda for the Armenia’s Parliament after parliamentary elections in 2017,” says World Vision Armenia Programme Director Zhirayr Edilyan.

 “We deliberately invited children and youth to the conference to realize their right for participating in the decision making that affects their lives and well-being. Our participant children came up with quite interesting ideas  that will be included in the final suggestive document to be sent to the Government of Armenia as well as leading political parties that will run for the coming parliamentary elections,” says World Vision Armenia Advocacy Manager Gayane Vardanyan.