WOMEN'S SHELTERS TO OPEN FOR WOMEN SUFFERING FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
- The Tufenkian Foundation is teaming up with several Los Angeles groups to raise funds for women's shelters in Armenia. The effort will culminate with a benefit reception to take place on Thursday, Sept. 15 at the LA home of Dr. Avo Tavitian.
All proceeds will benefit the Yerevan-based Women's Support Center, which assists women suffering from domestic violence and which is jointly sponsored by TF, USAID, and the Armenian International Women's Association.
"Women will live in those shelters until they can solve their problems and improve their financial situation. Children often live with their mothers but we are going to transfer them to boarding schools," Tufenkian Foundation Country Director Maro Matosian told A1+. "These shelters are of great demand in Armenia. A similar shelter operated in Martuni but it was closed due to financial problems. We aim to rent apartments in different cities, including Gyumri and Goris," she said.
Maro Matosian said that there is such a shelter in Yerevan but she did not specify its location out of security measures.
According to the Tufenkian Foundation, 66% of women in Armenia are subjected to psychological, 40% to physical and 12 % to severe physical violence.