“Agate” center for women with special needs NGO, Armenia President Karine Grigoryan

1. Violence Against Women & Girls with Disabilities Panel UN General Assembly - NYC - October 23, 2012 “Agate” center for women with special needs NGO, ArmeniaPresident KarineGrigoryan

2. “Agate” center for women with special needs NGO Founded in 2007 in Gyumri, Armenia with a mission to improve the quality of the life of women with disabilities and empower and encourage them, both individually and collectively, to claim their rights.

3. NUMBER OF WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES IN ARMENIA There are about 81900 women with disabilities in Armenia . They face discrimination based on: • Gender • Disability • Country

4. Forms of violence against WWDs mostly reported • domestic violence • sexual assault

5. Women with disabilities who faced violence Seda-27 years old. Margarita-32 years old Women with intellectual disability They have suffered from sexual assaultfor almost 3 years Anahit-22 years old. Balasan-25 years old Abused with family violence-forced isolation and hidden at home

6. Activities and success stories of “Agate” NGO in the field of VAW • Individual psychological and legal consultations • Consultations for their family members • Integration • Sex education

7. GAPS/CHALLENGES • Lack of accessible and safe shelters • Lack of access to justice

8. National and International networking • Mobility International USA • Association of Women's Rights in Development (AWID) in Canada • International Network of Women with Disabilities formed in Quebec, Canada 2008 • Board Member of Disability Advocacy Coalition (DAC) in Armenia • Member of regional disability and gender committees • Member of international forum planning committee of UNESCO chair of comparative human rights

9. Ratified International conventions • UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

10. Thank you