Podcast | Against shame culture: virginity tests and sex education in Armenia

February 16, 2024 9:46 PM

Last week, a bill on domestic violence passed its first hearing in Armenia’s parliament. The changes would classify virginity tests, a controversial practice meant to determine whether a person’s hymen is intact, as a form of domestic violence.

This week, we speak to Ani Jilosian of the Women’s Support Centre about what these amendments could mean and to Tereza Panchoyan, or Girlunmuted, an Instagram blogger, about attitudes towards sex in Armenia and the importance of better sex education.

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Armenia

Armenia extends protection status for Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians

Arshaluys Barseghyan

••1 min read

Armenia has extended the protection status for Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, without which they would not be able to leave the country. On Thursday, the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that the status of protection granted to Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians was extended until 31 December 2025, with the possibility of further extension. This status was given to over 100,000 Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians who did not apply for Armenian citizenship following the mass displacement in 2023.

Օpposition activist Rubik Hakobyan being removed from parliament. Image via Armenpress.

Armenia

Opposition and ruling party exchange insults following hearing on Armenia’s independence declaration

Arshaluys Barseghyan

••2 min read

Armenia’s opposition has held a hearing in defence of the inclusion of the Declaration of Independence in Armenia’s constitution, with opposition figures insulting supporters and members of the ruling party. The opposition Armenia Alliance faction held the hearing on Thursday to discuss the draft statement regarding the inviolable relevance of Armenia’s Declaration of Independence. The hearing took place against the backdrop of continued statements from Azerbaijan that the inclusion of the d

Armenia

Russia praises Azerbaijan’s ‘constructive’ approach to return of Nagorno-Karabakh refugees

Arshaluys Barseghyan

••3 min read

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has said Azerbaijan is taking ‘constructive’ actions to facilitate the right to return of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, as evidence mounts of the demolition of residential and cultural heritage buildings in Nagorno-Karabakh. ‘We have repeatedly commented on and emphasised the constructive steps taken by Baku to provide the population that left their native places with the opportunity to return there’, Zakharova said during a press briefing o

Armenia

Armenia’s ruling party faces criticism over soldier non-combat deaths

Arshaluys Barseghyan

••2 min read

Human rights activist Zaruhi Hovhannisyan has slammed the Deputy Chair of the Armenian Parliament’s Defence Committee, Armen Khachatryan, for attempting to downplay the responsibility of the authorities in the non-combat deaths of soldiers. ‘In our civilian life, we have many suicides, we have many accidents. I don’t know why you don’t talk about it, the reasons for those suicides’, Khachatryan said on Tuesday, in response to a question regarding the recent death of a soldier outside of comba