ARMENIA

Government
Since the 18th century, the Ottoman and Russian empires heavily influenced current day Armenia's society and culture. The people were a true mix of Muslims and Christians. By 1915, the country was in utter turmoil due to Russian and Turkish fighting over land control. The Young Turk Movement feared that Russia would take over the entire country, and began an ethnic cleansing campaign to rid the country of all Christian Armenians. This genocide left between 1 and 2 million dead - and a large number of ethnic Russian Christians fled the country. After World War 1, the Soviet Union took control over the newly formed countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgian.

In 1991, Armenia voted for independence. Since that time, Armenia has struggled to establish a valid, functioning democracy. In the February 2003 elections; presidential incumbent Robert Kocharian won amid complaints by election monitors of ballot stuffing. Armenia's current government is highly centralized, and the president holds a significant amount of power. According to the constitution, the president may dissolve the legislature at will, and presidential decrees carry the status of the law. Local governments have limited powers, and local officials - such as the mayor of Yerevan (the capital) - are selected by the President. Judges are usually appointed by the President for life terms, but can be removed without question. In 1999, women held just under two percent of the deputy cabinet ministerial positions , and it is difficult for women to enter politics at any level.

Economy
Despite repression and government control over all aspects of society, Armenia's economy was very prosperous. However, the fall of the Soviet Union left the country in shambles, and the economy crumbled. Armenia and Azerbaijan both wanted control of the Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh region, but by 1993, Armenia ruled the area. The warring parties reached a ceasefire in 1994, but hundreds of Armenians died in the conflict and the truce remains weak. This conflict resulted in a high number of displaced persons and refugees, and the ceasefire has failed to offer a permanent solution, leaving these people in limbo. The military campaign not only drained the resources of the country, but also led Turkey and Iran to impose economically devastating trade blockades. Therefore, Armenian economy remains underdeveloped despite modest foreign investment. Industry has recovered somewhat since that time - however, unemployment rests at 9.6 percent , and many Armenians live in dire poverty.

Of the unemployed, women make up 70 percent. Over half of all Armenians have left their country since 1992; many of them men seeking work abroad. This leaves women in a precarious situation of fulfilling the social role of wife and mother while at the same time providing for remaining family members. Also hindering economic growth is the trade blockade imposed by Armenia's neighbors over the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute - a land dispute with neighboring Azerbaijan. Corruption of government officials and nepotism are two additional factors weighing down the Armenian economy. President Kocharian signed a new law that took effect on January 2002, requiring all government officials to declare their revenues and property on an annual basis, with the hope reducing corruption among government officials. Additionally, the government created an anti-corruption commission in 2001, aiming to crack down on the illegal activities of its officials.

Media and Human Rights
Human rights abuses have been widely reported in Armenia. Among them are illegal searches, restrictions on freedom of assembly, and media harassment. The Armenian government oversees all national TV and radio, and all print and broadcast media must register with the Justice Ministry. Many journalists have been arrested and served jail time for criticizing the government.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict brought over 330,000 Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan into the country. In 1995, the National Assembly passed a law on citizenship, allowing the refugees of Armenian descent, as long as they are stateless and have been in the country for three years. Refugee rights to protection and asylum are protected under the 1999 (amended in 2001) Refugee Law, which provides for the granting of refugee or asylum status. As of 2002, there have been no reports of persons being forced to return to a country where they fear persecution. Homosexuality was considered a crime in Armenia until December 2002, when the government eliminated clause 116 of the Armenian Criminal Code. However, human rights activists claim that societal discrimination is rampant. According to the Helsinki Association in Armenia, many homosexuals are blackmailed by police because of their sexual orientation.

Women's Issues
Unemployment and trafficking are two of the main problems facing women and girls in Armenia. The lack of adequate schools and educators forces wealthier families to hire private tutors. Other, poorer families often cannot afford this, and the students - especially girls - receive minimal support. Without a proper education, these girls are often left with no hope for finding a job. They become prey for traffickers seeking to exploit them for sexual or domestic slavery. In April 2003, the Armenian criminal code was amended to include trafficking for sexual exploitation as a specific criminal and punishable act. Up until this point, traffickers could only be charged under articles forbidding "illicit seizure, falsification and selling of personal documents, extortion, bogus marriages and divorces, and coercion into sexual intercourse."

Trafficked victims who have been returned to the country usually are the main witnesses in trafficking cases presented to the court. They are often reluctant to come forward out of fear of violent retaliation against them or their families. Due to social stigma, most victims will not come forward at all, making reliable information about trafficking difficult to obtain. Many returned girls feel powerless and are unable to obtain work. Some end up being trafficked again. While there are currently no social services or government shelters in place for victims, women's groups have organized hotline and counseling centers. Women's organizations that work with victims claim that Armenian consulates in other countries, such as the United Arab Emirates, are reluctant to assist girls in returning home.

There are no specific laws in Armenia banning domestic violence, and according to one NGO, up to 50 percent of women surveyed complained of domestic violence. Currently, abusers can be prosecuted if there is substantial evidence of sexual assault. This may be difficult to obtain if the woman does not have ready access to a health clinic or doctor. Many women are reluctant to come forward about their abuse for fear of 'breaking up the family,' or being ridiculed by the police for 'causing a disturbance.' The Armenian family is close-knit, and when a woman marries, she becomes a member of her husband's family. While the Soviet programs to 'emancipate women' were effective in some areas, many Armenians still think that women belong in the home. This traditional value is challenging for a woman seeking to escape her abuser. Local women's organizations have recorded thousands of calls from domestic violence sufferers, many of whom report that it happens often. In many cases, the women do not attempt to leave their husbands because it is almost certain that child custody will be awarded to the husband and his family. While government officials are beginning to work with local women's groups, the problem still remains underreported and largely unaddressed.

FAIR Fund and Armenia
FAIR Fund currently partners with The Support Center for Girls/ CDCS Armenia to provide education and job training skills to 150 girls in the northern region of Armenia. These classes will train predominately refugee and orphan girls in community-organizing and management skills, along with English. They will then be placed in jobs with the government or encouraged to start their own businesses. FAIR Fund will offer trafficking literature and seminars for the girls, providing them with information they need to make healthy decisions about going abroad.