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PRESS RELEASE
  
Monday, 


  
As part of AGBU’s women’s empowerment initiative in the Republic of Armenia and 
its programs designed to close the gender gap in society and business, three 
AGBU groups in the organization’s global network observed International Women’s 
Month in March with virtual events organized in Lebanon, New York and Brussels. 

Each event served to address specific aspects of the ongoing struggle for 
women’s rights, and to show how the stories of Armenia’s women fit into the 
larger narrative of universal issues faced by women around the world. 

Arda Haratunian, AGBU Central Board Member and Co-Chair of AGBU EmpowerHer – a 
multi-faceted program that provides aspiring women in Armenia with the 
knowledge, skills, and support systems to succeed as entrepreneurs, employees in 
the IT sectors, or leaders in civic society – explained why Armenia’s women 
deserve recognition. “Their resilience and resolve to pursue their career goals, 
despite a year of devastating war and raging pandemic, is something all women 
can celebrate,” she stated. 

Agendas ranged from a film screening and panel discussion to networking 
opportunities and candid conversations with a successful Armenian film producer, 
all different yet all tackled various aspects of women’s rights and advancement 
in society. The first event, organized by AGBU Lebanon, highlighted a 
lesser-discussed aspect: the toll that lockdown isolation has taken on women’s 
rights. Women Coping with the Pandemic in a Warzone was held on March 5th with a 
diverse panel of women’s rights experts and nearly 100 participants. The 
thoughtful discussion raised awareness about the wide-reaching abuses of women 
since the pandemic which have been further exacerbated in conflict zones. “The 
pandemic is certainly global, but it is experienced in a radically different way 
if you’re a woman, and a mother, and responsible for families, especially in 
poor countries and warzones,” noted Dr. Carol Mann, Founder of Women in War 
Think Tank. This remark certainly rang true for the other speakers, including 
representatives from Arab Institute for Women, Shelter and Settlements at IFRC; 
AGBU Women Coders, AGBU Women Entrepreneurs (WE) programs; activists and 
doctoral candidates; Facebook MENA; Forward Film Production; KU Leuven; and 
Every Woman Treaty. 

“Emergencies never end when political crises end. In fact, for women, 
emergencies continue, and they take on new forms,” said the executive director 
of Arab Institute for Women Dr. Lina Abi Rafeh. “COVID has been a 
generation-defining event, but also a gender-defining event. The title of this 
conversation that we’ve been having is Women Coping with the Pandemic during a 
Warzone. That’s what we do. We cope constantly under every circumstance no 
matter what the world throws at us.” The panelists concluded that women have 
coped by effectively using social media and digital technology to speak out and 
stand up for greater gender equality. 
 
Building off AGBU’s sold-out 2020 “Women Shaping the World” where the landmark 
EmpowerHer program was launched, the second event served up the abridged 
“EmpowerHour” on March 11th – an interview with AGBU alumni Katherine Sarafian, 
a Senior Vice President and Head of Talent at Pixar Animation Studios, moderated 
by Kim Bardakian of the Kapor Center. AGBU Central Board member Arda Haratunian 
introduced the program with an update on the women’s entrepreneurship initiative 
that forged ahead in Armenia and Artsakh through the double-edged sword of the 
pandemic and war. “Women are more committed to these programs, figuring out how 
to pull our country together. They are the women who will change their 
communities, they will change their futures, and through that, they will change 
our nation.” The chat was followed by a networking session via small breakout 
rooms. Sarafian discussed her journey from AGBU to her role at the once-tiny 
startup Pixar, and how the Armenian community has supported her throughout her 
professional journey, which she felt as “a giant Armenian hug worldwide.” When 
asked how she balanced her work, personal life, and everything in between, 
Sarafian answered, “I don’t balance it. I’m getting used to stuff falling apart 
and breaking. I’m trying to get better at deciding what kind of breakage really 
matters to me.” Liberating oneself from guilt, Sarafian said, played a massive 
role in her decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to learning to 
acknowledge priorities through evaluating worst-case scenarios. “I cannot be the 
fullest and best leader and at the same time the fullest and best mother. I try 
to be protective and focused and present in the time that I’m doing either 
thing.” 
 
The final event took place on March 15th from Brussels, in partnership with the 
Bozar Center for Fine Arts, with an online film screening and discussion with 
director, reporter, and photographer Silva Khnkanosian. Nothing to be Afraid of 
is an immersive documentary revealing the resilience of female mine-clearers in 
Artsakh working in the former combat zone of the Lachin Corridor. 

“Even though every one of these women has a very strong personal story which led 
them to work as deminers, my film is not about these stories,” said Khnkanosian. 
“What was really interesting to me was to show these women in the actual work 
process, fully concentrated in their task, in these very dangerous and difficult 
conditions.” Anita Khachaturova, a political scientist completing her Ph.D. 
research on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict wove in the current war into the 
question-and-answer portion of the event, noting the increasing importance of 
female mine-clearers. “So many banned weapons have been used on the territory of 
Nagorno-Karabakh in the last war, including at least three types of cluster 
munitions. It will take time to clear the region from all the new explosives.” 

The ensuing dialogue couldn’t have been more relevant and necessary, considering 
the effects of the 2020 Artsakh War and its burden on mothers and women who have 
lost loved ones. “The film screening was a great opportunity to shed light on 
women from a region that is still little known in Europe, despite being the 
theater of a conflict which has remained unresolved for decades now,” commented 
moderator and AGBU Europe communications manager Céline Gulekjian. Though the 
three events tackled varying topics from professional development, the effect of 
the pandemic on women, and using film as a way to portray the plight of women in 
Armenia, evidently, the main message was resoundingly clear - women worldwide 
have a vast capacity for resilience in the face of adversity, no matter their 
background, status, or lot in life.

The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the world’s largest non-profit 
organization devoted to upholding the Armenian heritage through educational, 
cultural and humanitarian programs. Each year, AGBU is committed to making a 
difference in the lives of 500,000 people across Armenia, Artsakh and the 
Armenian diaspora.  Since 1906, AGBU has remained true to one overarching goal: 
to create a foundation for the prosperity of all Armenians. To learn more visit 

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