Uniting Communities by Building Regional Bridges

From October 22 to 25, 2025, Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO, with financial support of the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) held a regional meeting in Chișinău on the theme “Countering Anti-Gender Movements and Building Resilience.”

The program brought together 26 human rights defenders, community leaders, and activists from Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Moldova, and Ukraine.

The main goal of the program was to strengthen regional cooperation, enhance participants’ advocacy skills, and collectively respond to the growing anti-gender rhetoric and hate-based movements that threaten equality and human rights across the region.

The training was organized under the “Strengthening Trans Organizing’ Resiliency and Capacity” program, implemented by Right Side NGO since 2024, which aims to empower LGBTIQ+ activists, foster regional collaboration, and develop sustainable and inclusive advocacy movements in the South Caucasus and neighboring countries.

The meeting began with a welcome speech by the organization’s president, Lilit Martirosyan. She emphasized that this is already the third year that Right Side NGO has been bringing together regional activists to build bridges and collectively address regional challenges.

Participants then presented their activist journeys, shared successes and challenges faced by their organizations, and discussed personal experiences and achievements. They also reflected on the situation in their countries, highlighting the risks posed by hate speech, the spread of anti-gender ideologies, and new restrictive laws.

In the afternoon, our Georgian partners, Puspussy, conducted a #Femdefence workshop. Its performative format combined art and activism to explore themes of feminist resistance, self-expression, and empowerment. Participants engaged through movement, emotional expression, and storytelling. For many, this became the most memorable moment, reaffirming that advocacy is not only about politics or changing laws—it is also an art of creativity, resistance, and finding strength through joy.

In the following days, the program focused on advocacy strategy and practical skills. With the guidance of our expert, participants explored methods of advocacy planning, stakeholder mapping, and human rights monitoring. They analyzed regional legislative examples, examined ways to engage stakeholders, and considered the use of international tools, particularly ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map. During group exercises, activists shared their countries’ situations, highlighting both common and country-specific challenges.

In the final days, participants divided into country-based groups to develop their own small advocacy projects. Each group created an action plan with specific objectives, steps, and expected outcomes. The initiatives aim to raise awareness, promote legal recognition of gender, counter hate speech, and strengthen community resilience. The developed projects will receive £4,000 funding through Right Side NGO’s small grants program and will be implemented from November to December 2025.

The meeting concluded with wrap-up discussions and evaluations. Participants shared their impressions, noting that the program not only provided new knowledge but also fostered deeper connections, trust, and solidarity. Many emphasized that the meeting demonstrated that, regardless of borders and political differences, regional activists can unite as a force for equality and human rights.

In her closing remarks, Lilit Martirosyan shared insights on the program’s conception and her personal motivation:
"These meetings make us stronger. When we applied for this program two years ago, the idea was already clear in our minds—that regional activists would sit at one table to plan together, set goals, and build peace, with the aim of creating a strong and resilient LGBTIQ+ community. Today, that idea has become a reality. The past three years have proven that Right Side, as a leading trans organization, can unite activists from six countries under one roof, provide grants, and help build bridges. Together, we will overcome all challenges."

Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO extends heartfelt gratitude to the Government of the United Kingdom and the British Embassy in Armenia for their continued support, partnership, and trust in advancing equality, inclusion, and human rights across the region.