Workshop for beginner social media influencers

In December 2024, a four-day workshop was held in Tsaghkadzor for LGBTQ+ influencers. The event was organized by the "Right Side" Human Rights Defender NGO as part of the "Promoting Access to Positive Narratives about the LGBTQ+ Community in Social Media in Armenia" project, financed by the "Artemis Alliance" Project.

The workshop was attended by 12 LGBTQ+ influencers from Yerevan and various regions of Armenia. The goal of the workshop was to enhance and improve participants’ media literacy, develop skills in creating social media strategies, and support them in building an influential and effective presence on social media platforms.

Communication specialist Narine Yeghanyan covered topics such as strategic communication, components of communication, how to create content for target audiences, gender-based misinformation, information manipulation, and mechanisms to combat hate speech and trolling. She engaged participants in practical exercises and discussions. Lilit Martirosyan presented topics on sexuality, sexual orientation and gender identity, self-care, and safety, including physical, emotional, and digital security.

The workshop was also joined via video call by Ellen Grigoryan, the Country Manager for ”Artemis Alliance” Project. She welcomed the participants, introduced the program’s goals and main activities, and addressed the topic of gender- and identity disinformation. Participants expressed their gratitude to Ellen Grigoryan for providing valuable information and opportunities that contribute to the development of their skills and knowledge.

Quotes from Participants:

• "This workshop revealed how to build strategies to maximize social media influence. I especially valued the sessions on content creation."
• "Lilit Martirosyan’s session was very useful. It made me think about the steps I need to take to ensure my safety, which I had previously overlooked."

• "I had never attended such a workshop before. Narine Yeghanyan, as an expert, provided information I didn’t know before. This workshop gave me more confidence and unveiled the possibilities of properly using social media."
• "The most important thing was finding colleagues with whom I can share my ideas and get support to reach wider audiences."

Workshop Outcomes:

Participants gained practical skills that they are already applying in their social media activities. Each participant developed a one-month action plan that includes active communication with their audiences, creating positive narratives about the LGBTQ+ community, and combating misinformation. Following the workshop, participants have been conducting active campaigns on social media, using photos, videos, and other diverse content.

This workshop was an important step in amplifying the voices of the LGBTQ+ community and promoting positive change through social media.

It should be added that as part of this project, Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO has developed a guide on creating alternative narratives on gender identity and sexual orientation for beginner influencers in the Armenian context that supports beginner LGBTIQ+ and community ally influencers in creating content on their social media pages and thereby contributing to increasing the visibility of community representatives, reducing the risks of targeting, stigmatizing and discriminating against the LGBTIQ+ people and the dangers of manipulating the topic due to insufficient awareness and the misunderstandings that arise from it.