Winners of OSCE Office-supported journalism contest on role of women in Armenia announced

YEREVAN, 2 February 2010 - The winners of an OSCE-supported annual competition for journalists reporting on women's accomplishments in Armenia's political, economic and social life were announced today.

The second annual Na/Ne (S/HE) contest was co-organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan as part of its activities to increase the role of women in Armenia's public and economic life, and the British Council, as part of its Wo/Men in Politics project funded by the British Embassy in Yerevan.

Some 70 media outlets took part in the contest. A jury composed of representatives from the media industry and gender organizations selected winners in a range of categories, including best TV, radio, print and online entries, as well as the best blog posts and the best advertisements.

"A key challenge in Armenia is that the skills and talents of women are not fully utilized. It is thus very important that the media raises awareness of the roles that women can play in public and economic life to help move Armenia forward," said Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, the Head of the OSCE office in Yerevan.

The British Council Director in Armenia, Arevik Saribekyan said: "'The British Council is committed to the principle of equal opportunity, we believe that the achievements of women should be equally recognized and promoted. The contest acknowledges media professionals who contribute to this process."

The contest winners are Mane Grigoryan, a TV journalist for the Emergency Channel, Seda Papoyan, a journalist at MaxLiberty Radio, and Artak Vardanyan, a blogger for banadzev.com. The contest winners received certificates and an award made of sterling silver symbolizing the Na and Ne - the masculine and the feminine.