“Agate” NGO was pleased to host the Programme Manager from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, along with representatives of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women. The meeting served as an opportunity to reflect on joint achievements and outline priorities for future collaboration.
The meeting opened with welcome remarks, followed by a presentation from Karine Grigoryan, Founder and President of “Agate” NGO, who provided an overview of the organization’s journey since its establishment in 2007. She highlighted that over 80 projects have had a positive impact on the lives of more than 10,000 girls and women with disabilities across Armenia.
Lena Karlsson, from the European Commission, emphasized the EU’s approach to gender equality and the importance of supporting civil society organizations (CSOs) working with marginalized groups.
Gayane Grigoryan, Agate’s Director of Programs, presented the results of the cooperation under the EU 4 Gender Equality programme. Through the UNFPA component, women with disabilities received capacity-building training, psychological consultations, and handicraft workshops aimed at improving their wellbeing and employment opportunities.
From a regional perspective, Olga Osaulenko, Regional Project Manager of the joint UN Women/UNFPA initiative, shared insights on how CSOs can further expand their role and access new opportunities within inclusive development frameworks.
The meeting concluded with an open discussion, focusing on the support still needed to ensure economic empowerment of women with disabilities, and on integrating mental health services into broader inclusion efforts.
This collaboration continues to demonstrate that meaningful change is possible when organizations and institutions work together to build a more inclusive, equal, and empowering society—where women with disabilities have both a voice and a choice․