In April of this year, with the financial support of the Red Umbrella Fund, the Right Side human rights defender NGO organized a rehabilitation retrit for representatives of the sex worker community from Yerevan and different regions of the Republic of Armenia. During the retrit, meetings, and conversions also took place, which were chaired by Lilit Martirosyan, the president of the Right NGO.

Many sex workers in Armenia face challenges such as stigma, discrimination, violence, and exploitation,  which leads them to often experience high levels of stress and anxiety. The support of the community is one of the necessary components of improving the quality of life of sex workers, that’s why the Right Side NGO initiated this rehabilitation retrit, during which the participants had the opportunity to spend time in nature, relax and communicate with each other.

After the welcome speech, the participants got to know each other, became closer through various games, and formed an atmosphere of mutual trust, which made it possible to conduct pair therapy, share the main problems talk about traumas, stigma, and cases of violence. They also discussed how to self-rehabilitate, regulate relations with society and family members, form mutual aid groups, and implement actions aimed at strengthening the community. During these days, the participants completed many psychological tests, thanks to which they made discoveries about themselves.

The Right Side NGO’s priority is to provide sex workers with the support they need to maintain their physical and mental health and live full lives. At the end of the discussion, the participants thanked for the effective meeting and added that they will move together towards creating a safe and harmonious environment for all representatives of the community.

April 27, 2023 Armenia, Yerevan