The founder and director of Armenia's Women's Support Center, Maro Matosian, was recently interviewed by the publication Asbarez on the status of the center and efforts to combat domestic violence in that TransCaucusus nation. As of mid-2023, amendments to Armenia's domestic-violence law are currently under discussion by the center and lawmakers, including the criminalization of domestic violence, and separation of perpetrators from victims' homes. The Women's Support Center was established in 2010 and provides counseling, advocacy, shelter and other suppprt to domestic-violence victims in a country where that topic remained taboo and/or denied until recent years. In 2017, the National Assembly of Armenia, with input from the Center, adopted a law,"Prevention of domestic violence, projection of persons subjected fo family violence and restoration of family solidarity." Matosian describes how the situation has improved in recent years, and can continue to improve with reforms to the law and ongoing support from the Armenian diaspora.
Compiled from: Nane Avagyan, Asbarez Interview with Founder of Armenia’s Women’s Support Center Maro Matosian, Asbarez, July 20, 2023