On
September 5, the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, Ms. Anahit
Manasyan, participated in the premiere of the movie “Congratulations, It’s a
Girl” at the Moscow Cinema and delivered the opening speech. The film is
dedicated to the issue of sex-selective abortions in Armenia.
The
movie “Congratulations, It’s a Girl” was produced with the support of the
Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Armenia and addresses the urgent
issue of sex-selective abortions in the country.
In
her speech, the Human Rights Defender emphasized that sex-selective abortions
remain a concerning problem for Armenian society, despite the individual steps
taken to combat them.
“Despite
the steps taken, sex-selective abortions are still a challenge from the
perspective of guaranteeing human rights and gender equality. The reasons are
diverse: gender-based stereotypes, the prevailing preference for having a boy,
family and environmental pressures, etc. I would like to specifically note that
there are many people around us who face this problem, and it has a serious
impact on their fate. The fact is that we often do not notice these people,
their emotions and experiences. We must not only combat the phenomenon of
sex-selective abortions but also raise public awareness of the issue and show
people who have experienced the problem in some way that they are not alone. In
this context, such initiatives play a significant role,” said Ms. Anahit
Manasyan.
The
Defender expressed gratitude to the creative team of the movie and to the
Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for bringing this important
initiative to life.
“I
hope it will serve as a preventive signal and a reason for each of us to
reflect. I wish everyone a meaningful film screening,” concluded Ms. Manasyan.
Opening
speeches were also delivered by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands to Armenia, H.E. Ms. Marieke Monroy-Winter, and the film’s
director, Ms. Elena Arshakyan.
Հայերեն
