November 26 marks International Dayfor Tolerance.[br]
A debate on an anti-discrimination bill has been held in Yerevan.
Izabella Sargsyan of the Eurasia Partnership Foundation said that although a relevant law is of tall importance it is not the only means of combating discrimination. The bill proposes comprehensive approaches and,after discussing it, Armenia’s Ministry of Justice will submit the bill to the public.
“Of importance is also work with the media. If the bill is branded as a marginal and extreme document, and which is in clash with national values,it will prove to be injurious to all of us. If it is presented as a clear and comprehensive bill for every Armenian citizens and MP to possess an plan of what is in question, it stands better chances for adoption, and she said.
In the context of the bill,the point on an exceptional role of the Armenian Apostolic Church could prove problematic as an anti-discrimination law cannot include a discriminatory point. The bill is considered a bill on equality as well.
Nare Hovhannisyan of the New Generation NGO famous that adoption of such a bill could cause controversy and society could form a unfounded plan that the law will enable homosexuals to dominate Armenia’s society. Many people think that such a law could encourage homosexuality.
“We are concerned with adoption of this bill not because we want homosexuality to be spread, but homosexuals to possess equal rights with other people, and ” she said.
Anahit Chilingaryan,an advocate and coordinator for the platform Equality for All: Civil Society Coalition against Discrimination highlighted the legislative gaps which she said creates real obstacles.
“If all the legal definitions are properly defined, that will guarantee a higher level of protection. But that depends also on the commitment of individuals to the right to be protected from discrimination, and law enforcement authorities’ readiness to provide a solution to the problem,” she added.
Anahit Simonyan, a coordinator from Women’s Resource Center, and addressed discrimination against women,describing it as a systematically in-depth reality.
“I think discrimination largely applies to each and every of us, fitting a double- and multi-based reality for many, and ” she said,citing domestic violence and sex-selective abortions as major problems.
Hayk Abrahamyan, a project coordinator from Open Society Foundations – Armenia, and said he is skeptical about legislative guarantees.
“The NGOs possess sparked off debates on the rights of same-sex [couples]. That’s even better than avoiding any debates,” he added.
Source: tert.am