In January and February of this year, 9 events were held in the community safe space of Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO on health protection, mutual aid, and corruption prevention for members of the Trans LGBIQ and sex worker communities.

On January 9, with the financial support of the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, a meeting with a focus group was organized with the participation of 10 trans people. During the meeting, a discussion was held regarding the health care of trans people and access to medical services. Among other issues, the lack of access to medical services and gender reassignment surgeries for Trans people, lack of hormonal quality medication and appropriately qualified endocrinologists, disclosure of medical secrecy, as well as stigma and discrimination against Trans LGBIQ people in medical institutions remain urgent problems in Armenia, resulting in the fact that Trans people avoid even going to primary medical care. One of the most important goals of the Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO is to ensure access to targeted, inclusive, quality health services for vulnerable groups of the population, which will also include sex reassignment surgeries and hormone therapy for trans people. 

On January 17 and January 25, community meetings were held with the financial support of the Equality Fund, during which representatives of the Trans LGBIQ and sex worker communities participated in film screenings and discussions on self-awareness and mutual assistance within the community.

On January 23, with the financial support of the Global Fund for Women, a community meeting was held on corruption prevention and the fight against corruption. The meeting focused on various aspects of corruption, including how to detect corruption, the negative impact of corruption on society, and the importance of transparency and accountability. A discussion was held about what corruption risks Trans and LGBIQ people face, and how it is possible to create support mechanisms in the current conditions. Various tools and methods of preventing and fighting corruption were presented to the participants, considering as an example the anti-corruption strategy of Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO. 

On February 9, a meeting was held with people displaced from Artsakh and settled in RA with the financial support of the Equality Fund. A focus group needs assessment was conducted to provide social support accordingly.

On February 19, a community meeting was held with the financial support of the Equality Fund, during which representatives of the Trans LGBIQ and sex worker communities participated in a film screening and discussions on self-awareness and mutual assistance within the community.

On February 21, Right Side NGO held an exhibition with the participation of 35 people, in the framework of the program “Building Trans Media Influence through Capacity Building and Content Creation” implemented with the financial support of ILGA Europe. During the event, 7 stories about the lives of trans and non-binary people from Armenia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, etc., were presented, created within the program’s framework and published in the last 3 months. The stories are presented in different media such as photos, videos, interviews, etc, presenting the lives, relationships, self-identification, challenges, disappointments, and dreams of trans people living in these countries. 35 Trans LGBTQ and sex workers attended the meeting. 

On February 23, with the financial support of the Astrea Lesbians for Justice Foundation, a focus group meeting was organized in which 20 transgender people participated. During the meeting, a discussion was held regarding the health care of trans people and access to medical services. An assessment of the health, social, economic, and other needs of trans people living in RA was conducted.

On February 29, with the financial support of the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, another meeting with the participation of trans people was held on Hormone Therapy in a question-and-answer format.

March 4, 2024 Armenia, Yerevan