Final Evaluation: Transforming the domestic violence agenda in Armenia

Location: Armenia

Grantee partner: Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women

Grant period: August 2022 - July 2025

Grant amount: $500,000

Authors/editors:  Zaruhi Aznauryan

Evaluation year: 2025 

Across Yerevan and all regions of Armenia, the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women (CSVW), a national alliance of 10 women-led organizations, implemented a three-year initiative to strengthen protection and accountability in the response to all forms of domestic violence against women. The initiative aimed to ensure that services and information were accessible to all survivors, including women with disabilities, refugee, and Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender women, and women living with HIV/AIDS, while embedding systemic changes in institutions and professional practices.

This initiative strengthened protection and accountability for survivors of domestic violence across all regions of Armenia. It delivered comprehensive services—hotlines, counseling, shelters, and legal aid—while prioritizing marginalized groups. Through targeted trainings for service providers, law enforcement, educators, and justice actors, alongside research, advocacy, and public awareness campaigns, the project advanced court monitoring as a tool of justice oversight and fostered inclusive, survivor-centered practices nationwide.

Key findings

• 316,880 people benefited (4,859 primary, 1,307 secondary, and 310,714 indirect beneficiaries) from the activities. 
• 94% of surveyed participants felt safe, 93% respected, 95% found staff knowledgeable when receiving services provided by CSVW, and 86–92% reported increased knowledge of rights, where to seek help, and confidence in recognizing/seeking help (n=204).
• Domestic violence centers integrated accessibility measures and survivor-centered approaches into daily routines, supported by cascade style training sessions and supervisory models.
• Easy-to-Read manuals, audio guides, and multilingual brochures, were produced and planned to be utilized beyond the end of the initiative.
• Introduction of systematic court monitoring, using official audio recordings of sexual violence cases, provided civil society with reliable evidence of how cases were handled and acted as a deterrent.

“The trainings were very practical and immediately useful. Our staff could apply what they learned the next day—with survivors, with police, with community members. It wasn’t just theory; it changed how we work.”  - Domestic Violence Center representative, Focus Group Discussion