‘It’s been three years, but the wounds and bruises still haven’t stopped. When I hear his voice, my body quivers from fear that this time he will kill me.’ These harrowing words were displayed on a banner in Yerevan's Republic Square as part of a recent demonstration supporting the adoption of a domestic violence law in Armenia. Alongside the banners lay shoes—a grim reminder of the women killed in domestic violence.
Women in Armenia are habitually subjected to violence and abuse, most of which goes unrecognised. Here, domestic violence is ignored both by state and society—it is considered a personal issue, not a political one—and because of this, according to human rights activists, no major steps are being taken to prevent acts of domestic violence or protect survivors of abuse.
Women in Armenia are habitually subjected to violence and abuse, most of which goes unrecognised
