On March 14, the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the United Nations, in partnership with the Armenian Relief Society (ARS), held a side event at the UN, on the margins of the 60th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

The side event titled “Uplifting Women from Poverty Through Partnerships” showcased efforts that promote financial, economic and social inclusion of women, in the context of the new development agenda, with a focus on women empowerment through partnerships for entrepreneurship that help transform the local development landscapes.

Attended by a large number of delegates representing member states, UN agencies, NGOs and civil society, the panel featured interactive discussions of a wide range of programs, projects and initiatives to promote women empowerment, with a special focus on real-life examples of business initiatives aiming at rural sustainability and inclusive growth. The participants recognized that partnerships that bring together communities, entrepreneurs, institutions, governments and development agencies through a juxtaposition of local expertise, external resources and innovations help increase the social impact and sustainability on a broader scale.

The discussions opened with the welcoming remarks delivered by the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN Zohrab Mnatsakanyan. The list of panelists included the Senior Adviser at UNFPA, Mr. Michael Herrman, the founder of ONEArmenia, Mr. Patrick Sarkissian, the co-founder of Harvest Song artisanal preserves, Ms. Sylvia Tirakian, the founder of Meline’s Garden, a start-up intistive introducing quinoa in Armenia, Ms. Taline Kevonian, and the Manager at Empower Women Ms. Anna Falth. The panel was moderated by Dr. Nyree Derderian, member of the Armenian Relief Society Central Executive Board.