On March 8-9 Ms. Lotta Johnsson Fornarve, Second Deputy Speaker of the Swedish Riksdag visited Armenia to take part in a seminar at the National Assembly of Armenia aimed at ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men. During her visit Second Deputy Speaker met with a number of officials and local partners of Armenia.
On March 8, at OxYGen Foundation’s invitation Ms. Lotta Johnsson Fornarve, Second Deputy Speaker of the Swedish Riksdag took part at a seminar called "Civil Society - National Assembly Platform for Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Women and Men".
The aim of the event was to create a platform for cooperation between the Parliament of Armenia and non-governmental organizations to ensure a closer coordination for the advancement of equal rights and opportunities for women and men. After the seminar a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Parliament of Armenia and representatives of Armenian civil society.
The seminar was organized in the frameworks of Equal campaign, implemented with Swedish funding.
According to the Swedish parliament vice speaker, the International Women's Day is a day to celebrate, but also a day to highlight the challenges facing women, in Sweden, in Armenia, and worldwide.
"It’s a day when we recognize that we can and need, to do more – to build better societies, where both girls and boys, women and men, can reach their full potential. It’s a day when we come together, when we make pledges, and when we form alliances – across political factions, between women and men, and between countries. It’s only when we work together, that we can overcome those challenges.”
Ms. Lotta Johnsson Fornarve also present "The role of women in politics. Swedish Experience" presentation on ways of promoting gender equality. Emphasizing that Sweden has made considerable progress, Deputy Speaker noted that, nevertheless, there are still many things to do.
On March 9 Ms. Lotta Johnsson Fornarve met the Speaker of the RA National Assembly Ararat Mirzoyan. Lotta Johnsson Fornarve conveyed the official invitation of the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament to Ararat Mirzoyan for visiting Sweden.
Ms. Lotta Johnsson Fornarve welcomed the democratic processes occurred in Armenia in 2018 and the reforms being implemented, noting that the Armenian people could peacefully make positive changes.
Ararat Mirzoyan awarded Lotta Johnsson Fornarve the RA NA Speaker’s Memorial Medal for her significant contribution to the development of the Armenian-Swedish inter-parliamentary relations.
After Deputy Speaker of Swedish Parliament paied Tribute in Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex.
After official meetings together with the Ambassador of Sweden Mr. Ulrik Tidestrom, Charge d’ Affiares Mr. Martin Fredriksson, International Advisor of the Swedish Riksdag, Mr. Martin Brozek stopped by Homeland Development Initiative Foundation’s to learn more about their important work. HDIF is a social enterprise which promotes sustainable economic development by creating job opportunities in Armenian communities.
