In the words of Elisa Melkonyan: “It is necessary to empower people with disabilities so that they start to trust their abilities”

Elisa Melkonyan, 40, is woman living with cerebral palsy (a motor disability causing muscle weakness), from Gyumri, a city in northwestern Armenia. A beneficiary of the Agate NGO for nearly 15 years, she was among the 32 women and girls with disabilities who took part in a handicraft training offered by the NGO under the “EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence” programme in December 2020. Funded by the European Union, the programme is jointly implemented by UN Women and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Following the training, Elisa sold some of her crafts online. Agate also offered Elisa a job as an assistant teacher at its Independent Living Resource Centre, which provides informal education opportunities for children with disabilities.

“Women with disabilities in Armenia face many problems. I want to mention education first. Education is not accessible for us due to many difficulties, from mobility barriers to programme inclusivity and lack of finance. Another big problem is unemployment. And a big challenge is that we have difficulty finding jobs, as a result of which we are not financially independent and often isolated․ I knocked on many doors, but they remained closed.

[I took the training because] I wanted to be more confident and financially independent. It is necessary to empower people with disabilities so that they start to trust their abilities and discover their strengths and talents. That is exactly what happened to me during the training.

[Now] I work with the teacher equally and help students with life skills and literacy. On the first day, I was afraid I might be unable to work. But then I remembered the conversations about self-belief during the training, and I quickly overcame that concern. When I think about my ability to educate kids and my courage to become independent, I realize how happy I am.

It was the same thing with knitting. I tried several times. I was taking the wool apart and putting it back together again and again. I was afraid I might be unable to knit because of my disability. You have no idea how excited I was when I saw the result. It was a real victory for me. When I sold my work for the first time, I was as happy as a child.

Women with disabilities should be supported first in getting an education and a profession. This will help them to find jobs more efficiently and be independent. These people must also receive psychological help, to be encouraged to try various ways to find the best course of living and be self-supported.

I call on all my friends and people like me to never be discouraged by difficulties. Success does not come easily to us, but that does not mean we should not try. You should treat everything with love, not give up and try to overcome problems. After that, you will become stronger and self-confident.”

This story 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.