Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO

Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO is a community based, democratic, human rights defender organization. It is the first and only NGO run by and for trans people and sex workers in Armenia and in the South Caucasus region. Founded in 2016 by young trans activists, the organisation aims to ensure the well-being, protection and equality of the trans community and sex workers by achieving social-cultural and legal changes through cooperation with state bodies, civil society and with international organizations. Trans and LGBQI people have been one of the most marginalized, least visible and discriminated groups in traditional and conservative Armenia, without any protection within the community and society at large. Along with monitoring and reporting human rights violations of the community, Rights Side Human Rights Defender NGO provides legal, social and psychological services to the community, holds annual trans camps, vocational education trainings, language courses, capacity building workshops and seminars, awareness raising campaigns, etc., the NGO hosted the first gender equality and diversity cultural festival in Armenia in 2019 as a pre-event for the first Pride which is planned to be held in 2021.