When women support women, they create ripples that transcend borders, professions, and generations. The collaboration between the Armenian International Women’s Association (AIWA) and Safe YOU is a story of exactly that: solidarity transformed into real impact.
AIWA, long committed to advancing Armenian women regardless of political, religious, or educational background, recognized early the promise of Safe YOU’s mission to protect and empower women through innovative technology. Since 2021, the two organizations have stood side by side, combining AIWA’s community-driven legacy with Safe YOU’s cutting-edge platform.
That year, the partnership took on new visibility at AIWA’s 30th Anniversary Symposium in the United States, themed “Uniting Women Globally.” Mariam Torosyan, Safe YOU’s Founder & CEO, joined the “Women Affecting Change” panel, sharing how technology can be a lifeline for women facing violence. For Safe YOU, it was more than an invitation; it was recognition from one of the diaspora’s most influential networks that women-led innovation is central to building safer and more equitable communities.
The years that followed deepened this collaboration. In 2022, AIWA Vice President Zela Astarjian traveled to Gyumri with Safe YOU to meet grassroots women’s groups, connecting local initiatives with international allies. In 2023, AIWA-San Francisco leaders Christine Soussa and Laura Markarian Dirtadian visited Safe YOU’s Yerevan office, bringing expertise, encouragement, and the spirit of global sisterhood. Since then, Mariam Torosyan has held several meetings with AIWA-SF leaders Lusine Yeghiazaryan and Lilit Yenokyan, sharing updates and exploring new ideas to further strengthen the partnership.
That same year, AIWA made a financial contribution in the form of a $25,000 grant, a timely investment that allowed Safe YOU to expand its technical capabilities and services. With this grant, the platform reached more than 5,400 women and girls in Armenia through one-on-one psychosocial consultations, awareness campaigns, and new digital tools. Local influencers helped amplify Safe YOU’s message, ensuring that women’s rights and safety reached wider audiences.
These joint efforts converged again in May 2024 at AIWA’s Symposium, where Safe YOU was featured during the “Mission Armenia” events. It was not simply a speaking engagement but a shared platform, diaspora and homeland voices rising together to champion women’s safety, leadership, and empowerment.
For Safe YOU, AIWA is not just a supporter. It is a partner, a collaborator, and above all, a sisterhood. From the very beginning, AIWA has stood beside Safe YOU, proving that when Armenian women unite across continents, they create not only solidarity, but tangible results: women reached, lives changed, and communities empowered.
As Safe YOU continues to expand across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, AIWA remains one of its most cherished allies. Together, they embody a truth that resonates far beyond Armenia: when women come together, they do more than uplift one another. They build safer futures, inspire innovation, and drive global change.