Silence Interrupted: Challenging Gender Based Violence in Armenia

CHALLENGE

The Women’s Resource Center and their partners were working to pass the first ever domestic violence law in Armenia. In order to do this, they needed to get more people to talk about their own battles with domestic violence and other sexual violence in a culture where that discussion was taboo. Our job was to help break the silence and encourage people to speak out about gender based violence.

SOLUTION

Creating a film and distribution strategy that would encourage women in Armenia to speak out and seek help for gender based violence.

OVERVIEW

In 2012 and 2013, when this film was created, advocates, lawyers and service providers were working to show the extent of gender based violence in Armenia to counter those who denied it was a problem in the country. This film was used to break the silence about gender-based violence in Armenia through the involvement of survivors and a home screening campaign. It was informed by lawyers, service providers, and others who worked on gender based violence and was part of a broader legal strategy to impact legal change in Armenia.

We worked with the Women’s Resource Center to source subjects - there was only one living victim of gender based violence willing to speak out - to direct and produce a film that could be used by service providers, lawyers, and other advocates for legal change. We also developed a much needed distribution strategy that addressed the taboo nature of the issue so that people would feel more comfortable speaking out about their experiences. The film featured religious leaders, experts, women victims, their lawyers, and service providers to show the importance of “breaking the silence”.  It was used in presentations by the Women’s Resource Center and their ally, the Women’s Support Center, as well as at home screenings across Armenia.

Impact

This video helped to Break the Silence in Armenia and support women’s organizations and lawyers to enact the first ever law making domestic violence illegal.

Directed by Abby Goldberg. Created in collaboration with the New Media Advocacy Project and the Women’s Resource Center in Armenia. Available in Armenian and English.