The Right Side human rights defender NGO organized a “Crisis Response Training” for Trans and LGBIQ youth. The training was funded by the Global Fund for Women and aimed to equip Trans and LGBIQ youth with the skills to effectively respond to the various crises and challenges they may face in their lives. 20 Trans and LGBIQ young people took part in the training, and the trainer was Lilit Martirosyan, the founding president of the Right Side human rights defender NGO.
During the course, participants developed a comprehensive understanding of financial, political, economic, environmental and other types of crises, with a special focus on the unique needs of Trans and LGBIQ people, the crises they face in different areas of their lives. Many economic and geopolitical processes that have taken place in the last few years have left their mark on the lives and needs of trans and LGBIQ people in Armenia, and the Right Side human rights defender NGO has developed an appropriate strategy in each case to effectively respond to these problems.
In 2020, due to the global pandemic caused by Covid-19, an economic crisis began all over the world, and many Trans and LGBIQ people in RA also lost their main source of income and found themselves in an extremely vulnerable financial situation. Despite the many aid programs that have been implemented, the effects of this crisis for Trans and LGBIQ people have not completely disappeared to this day.
In 2021, the Artsakh 44-day war further deepened the existing crisis, during which the existing economic crisis became worse, as well as Trans and LGBTQ people became targets of hate speech.
Already in 2022, global political developments in the form of the Russian-Ukrainian war led to a large influx of immigrants to Armenia, and many LGBTIQ people moved to Armenia, adding to the number of beneficiaries of Right Side human rights defenders NGO, which caused the organization to revise its strategy and change it according to the crisis. Due to this immigration, there was inflation in the Republic of Armenia, in particular, a sharp increase in the prices of rental apartments was recorded, which had a direct impact on the economic situation of Trans and LGBTQ people living in rent, many people found themselves outside or had to pay double the price for the apartment. It should also be noted that in addition to the crises caused by the political context, many pending problems continue to exist in RA, for example, the lack of medical services for trans people, hormone therapy, domestic violence, etc., which make Trans and LGBTQ people more vulnerable to any external crisis.
Through the study of contemporary examples and precedents, and the example of the response of the Right Side human rights defender NGO to them, the participants of the anti-crisis course learned the skills of crisis prevention, effective strategies and post-crisis recovery.
By organizing such trainings, the Right Side human rights defender NGO aims to empower and increase the capacities of Trans and LGBIQ youth, contributing to their well-being and professional development. The skills acquired during the course will not only enable participants to overcome personal crises, but will also help them effectively solve various problems facing their communities.
Jun 12, 2023 Armenia, Yerevan
