Safe Online and WISE: The power of technology to protect women

The Safe Online and Women Initiative for Security and Equity (WISE) programs play a key role in strengthening gender equality and enhancing women’s safety in Armenia. Funded by the U.S. Department of State and implemented in partnership with Mercy Corps Georgia, these programs are carried out in Armenia by the IMINI Initiatives Foundation.

The Safe Online program focuses specifically on enhancing women’s safety and participation in the digital space, while WISE addresses a wider range of issues, targeting all forms of gender-based violence. Both initiatives use innovative approaches, such as the Safe YOU app, to create a secure and equal environment for women and girls.

In an interview with iTel.am, Safe Online Program Coordinator Milena Hayrapetyan and WISE Program Manager Lilit Shakhulyan shared insights about the mission, vision, current efforts, and future plans of these programs.

Safe and equal: the vision of WISE

The Women Initiative for Security and Equity (WISE) program is a three-year regional program aimed at preventing gender-based violence, raise awareness about it and related issues, and promoting gender equality.

According to program manager Lilit Shakhulyan, gender-based violence is a complex and evolving issue, which often makes it difficult to prevent.

“We firmly believe that no one should live under the threat of gender-based violence. During the design phase of WISE program, we prioritized the prevention of gender-based violence, focused on the use of response mechanisms and their improvement through the innovative tools of the Safe YOU platform,” she said.

A number of important initiatives have been implemented under the program, including a study on the needs of women and girls forcibly displaced from Artsakh during 2020-2023. Additionally, sub-grant programs have been implemented with community structures, engaging eight organizations from Lori, Shirak, Tavush, Kotayk, and Aragatsotn regions.

According to Lilit Shakhulyan, Safe YOU’s mission is to make every woman and girl - regardless of their background, abilities, skin color, and other circumstances - feel strong and safe.

“Through the Safe YOU toolkit, we consistently engage various qualified specialists (lawyers, psychologists), who provide free and anonymous consultation to Safe YOU users. We also work with various support centers and the Police in Armenia, directing our users to specialized structures.

We have recently enhanced Safe YOU by adding a new feature for open surveys and quizzes, created a more practical feedback and response function when using the ‘Call’ button, and enhanced accessibility by translating the app into Kurdish (Kurmanji) to better serve the Yezidi population in Armenia,” Lilit Shakhulyan noted.
In 2025, the program’s final year, efforts will focus on continuing current initiatives, with particular emphasis on the dissemination and effective use of the Safe YOU application.

New Horizons of Digital Security: The Mission of the Safe Online Program

Launched in 2023, the Safe Online program aims to combat gender-based violence in the digital space and promote women’s participation in the digital economy. According to program coordinator Milena Hayrapetyan, technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) and harassment are widespread online.

“Today, the world is gradually becoming digital. In parallel, various forms of violence are becoming widespread in the online domain. Through this program, we are trying to prevent TFGBV as much as possible by educating and raising awareness, as well as promoting women’s involvement in online business,” she said.

Milena Hayrapetyan stressed that the key tools in combating technology-facilitated gender-based violence are awareness and education.

“As part of the program, we are conducting informational meetings and training for women and girls. Recently, we held a hackathon titled “Safe Digital Horizons,” in which 3 out of 10 participating teams were recognized as winners and received a total of 1,000,000 AMD in funding for the implementation of their projects. A sense of security in the online environment can only be achieved when a woman knows her rights and feels confident that such violence against her is punishable,” she emphasized.

The program works closely with local NGOs, international organizations, and government agencies, including the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and the Office of the Human Rights Defender. A recent study conducted in collaboration with Civitta Armenia, identified the types of TFGBV and explored opportunities for localizing international practices in Armenia.

“The ultimate goal of our activities is to educate women and girls about this type of violence, so we can prevent it, as well as encourage them to participate in the digital economy and engage with online platforms without fear or constraint,” concluded the Safe Online coordinator.

In the near future, the program plans to create new educational content, organize another hackathon, and develop a toolkit to prevent online violence in the workplace.

Nune Grigoryan