Armenia remains committed to advancing gender equality, women’s rights, and peace efforts, Deputy Foreign Minister Robert Abisoghomonyan said during the Francophonie Ministerial Conference in Kigali.
“The 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is an opportunity to reflect on achievements, address current challenges, and consider ways forward. These foundational texts remain key global instruments for realizing women's rights and empowering women and girls in all spheres of life,” Abisoghomonyan noted. He welcomed the initiatives that have complemented the Beijing framework over the years, noting the active role of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.
He recalled that during the 2018 Francophonie Summit in Yerevan, Armenia adopted a strategy to promote gender equality and women's empowerment, reaffirming its commitment and supporting the implementation of targeted initiatives.
Abisoghomonyan reaffirmed Armenia’s dedication to promoting women’s rights and leadership. He highlighted measurable increases in both the quality and quantity of women's participation across Armenia’s government structures. Currently, women hold 30% of ministerial posts in Armenia.
“For the first time in our history, Armenia has a female Minister of Internal Affairs and a female Prosecutor General. The newly formed External Intelligence Service and the Human Rights Defender's office are also led by women. Moreover, the number of female MPs has steadily increased, now exceeding 36% in the National Assembly,” he added.
Armenia is actively promoting the “Women, Peace and Security” agenda both nationally and internationally. The country has completed work on its third national action plan under this framework, titled “Investing in Global Peace Efforts.” The plan reaffirms Armenia’s dedication to the peace agenda through concrete commitments.
Abisoghomonyan emphasized women’s vital role in peacebuilding, reconciliation, restoring trust, and overcoming conflict consequences.
“As you know, on August 8, a joint declaration was signed by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the U.S. in Washington, while the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan initialed a peace agreement aimed at normalizing relations between the two countries. This milestone opened new avenues for post-conflict reconciliation and civil society involvement, including women’s organizations,” he said.
He stressed the importance of ensuring women’s full potential through education and skills development, referencing the “La Francophonie avec Elles” initiative, launched during the global health crisis to support women. The program has proved effective and remains active today.
“I am pleased to note that, for the first time, two Armenian NGOs have become beneficiaries of this initiative. Their projects focus on education, training, and skills development for women, including displaced women,” Abisoghomonyan concluded. He expressed satisfaction that a significant and ambitious document, the Kigali Call, is being adopted, committing participants to turn joint efforts into tangible results.
On August 8, at a trilateral meeting in the White House, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a joint declaration summarizing the Washington talks. In the presence of all three leaders, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov initialed the peace and interstate relations agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
