On 19 January 2012, the Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs and the Standing Committee on European Integration of the National Assembly (NA) of the Republic of Armenia, in cooperation with the EU Advisory Group, organised a parliamentary hearing on the Draft Law on “Ensuring equal rights and equal opportunities for women and men”. The goal of this Draft Law is to ensure gender equality in all the spheres of social life, legal protection of men and women from gender discrimination as well as support to civil society development in this important field. The Draft Law is a key regulation for increasing gender awareness and ensuring that men and women enjoy the same fundamental rights. The issues addressed by the Draft Law are related to ensuring balanced participation in political and economic spheres, implementation of the state gender policy, establishment and effective functioning of the national mechanism controlling law enforcement, rise of the social and economic status of housework, combining professional and family duties, and prevention of violence and sexual harassment. The Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs and the Standing Committee on European Integration of the National Assembly presented the Draft Law to the representatives of civil society, international organisations and state agencies for their further comments and recommendations. The adoption of the Law on “Ensuring equal rights and equal opportunities for women and men” would greatly contribute to the establishment of new legal, organisational and institutional mechanisms thus ensuring the approximation of national legislation to international legal standards and norms. Ambassador Traian Hristea, the Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, said: “Translating the concept of gender equality into a legislative framework and ensuring a mechanism that will implement that legislation are indeed strong steps forward”. The parliamentary hearing was opened by Mr. Samvel Nikoyan, President of the National Assembly, Mr. Aram Safaryan, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs, Ms. Naira Zohrabyan, Chairwoman of the NA Standing Committee on European Integration Issues, Mr. Karen Andreasyan, Human Rights Defender, Mr. Traian Hristea, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia and Ms. Dafina Gercheva, UNDP Resident Representative.

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