Religious leaders driving change for gender equality in the EU’s Eastern Partnership countries – UN Women – Europe and Central Asia
Date:
“A strong family is built on respect, not fear,” said Father Nerses Sahakyan from the Gegharkunik region in Armenia.
His words reflect a shift that is gradually happening in the country, where the EU 4 Gender Equality programme has been transforming how faith leaders view gender equality. In Armenia, where 95.2 per cent of the population identifies with the Armenian Apostolic Church, religious leaders and faith-based organizations are powerful allies in advancing gender equality. Armenia was the first state in history to adopt Christianity in the early 4th Century. This long-standing tradition has made the Church a central pillar of Armenian society, giving its leaders significant influence over social and cultural attitudes. Recognizing this, the EU 4 Gender Equality programme has trained over 85 priests and social workers, empowering them to help their communities confront harmful stereotypes that fuel gender-based violence.
Father Hakob Grigoryan, from the Shirak region, describes the work more personally: “Often, when I visit homes for a simple blessing or to share a cup of coffee, I notice tensions that are not spoken aloud. A conversation, a prayer, or simply listening can open the door to healing.”
The EU 4 Gender Equality collaboration with religious leaders goes beyond traditional interventions, incorporating new approaches that have not been widely used by the church before, like social media campaigns.
One such initiative in Armenia reached over 2 million people through an awareness-raising campaign on Instagram led by Armenian Church Subdeacon Tovmas Arakelyan. The 27-year-old has attracted more than 146,000 followers with candid and intimate videos that discuss Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage, but reinterpreted in a way that resonates with younger generations. His collaboration with EU 4 Gender Equality focused on ways to protect children’s rights and promote more equal roles in the family between parents and spouses.
The EU 4 Gender Equality programme has also made significant strides by engaging religious leaders in addressing gender-based violence and promoting gender equality in Moldova, where similar to Armenia, over 95 per cent of the population identifies as Eastern Orthodox Christian.
“From now on, if we have not done it already, we must talk to people about what violence means,” said Priest Radu Storoja of St. Ierarh Nicolae Church in Chișinău, one of 10 religious leaders trained in Moldova under the EU 4 Gender Equality programme.
Through interactive workshops and discussions, religious leaders participating in the EU 4 Gender Equality interventions explored the root causes of gender-based violence and the role faith communities can play in addressing it. They also learned how to offer emotional support to violence survivors, refer women who have experienced violence to available support services, and collaborate with relevant institutions to promote messages of respect, dignity, and non-violence in their teachings.
“Thanks to the knowledge gained through the EU 4 Gender Equality programme, we have strengthened our abilities to conduct discussions with young people on building healthy family relationships,” said Andrei Apetrei, a priest from Cahul, Moldova.
In Georgia, the programme’s impact has also echoed through the country’s religious circles, leading to positive change. Eighteen Muslim leaders from the Kvemo Kartli region participated in the EU 4 Gender Equality training to better understand and combat harmful practices such as early marriage and gender-based violence.
“Our effort, engagement, recommendations, and information-sharing have yielded results,” said Shirkhan Chobanov, imam of the Jumah Mosque in Tbilisi. “Our advice really matters, and gradually, we are witnessing changes both in Tbilisi and in other regions.” Mr. Chobanov noted that requests for performing early marriages had been much more frequent in the past, but have since significantly decreased.
In Azerbaijan, the EU 4 Gender Equality programme has made significant progress in embedding gender education into religious institutions. A new interdisciplinary course, Gender Studies and Islam, was developed at the Azerbaijan Theology Institute. Set to launch in the 2025-2026 academic year as part of the Master’s programme in the Religious Studies Department, this course offers a comprehensive curriculum focused on gender issues within the context of Islamic teachings. The course also focuses on raising awareness, with 160 students and 10 faculty members participating in specialized training on gender equality and the role of Islam in addressing gender-based discrimination. To support this, a series of course manuals was developed to help educators and students embrace a more inclusive perspective that is aligned with both religious principles and gender justice.
The work with religious leaders across the region is not only addressing gender-based violence but also reshaping attitudes toward gender equality. By continuing to partner with different faith groups, the EU 4 Gender Equality programme has the potential to drive lasting change by challenging harmful social norms.
This article is produced in the framework of the “EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence” programme (phase 2), funded by the European Union, and implemented jointly by UN Women and UNFPA. This article was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of UN Women and UNFPA and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Copyright © UN Women
Leave a Reply