June 20, 2026
Share
When the women of Artsakh were forcibly displaced in 2023, they didn’t just lose their homes, they lost their professional identities, community networks, and economic footing they had spent years building. Resettling in Yerevan meant starting over, often with limited resources and in an unfamiliar job market. For many, the path forward was anything but clear.
That’s exactly the kind of gap that AIWA Empower Path with partner Hub Artsakh strived to close.
What Is AIWA Empower Path?
Launched by the Armenian International Women’s Association (AIWA) in late 2023, Empower Path is an initiative that partners with trusted on-the-ground organizations to deliver practical skills training, certification, and employment support to women facing economic vulnerability. The model is deliberate: rather than operating in isolation, AIWA identifies strong local partners who understand their communities deeply, co-designs programming that meets real market needs, and funds pathways to sustainable, dignified work.
One of AIWA Empower Path’s most active partners is Hub Artsakh, a community-rooted organization originally founded in Stepanakert in 2021 and continuing its mission from Yerevan after the forced displacement of 2023. Dedicated to rebuilding the lives of Artsakh’s displaced community through programs spanning employment support, youth development, and professional reskilling, Hub Artsakh deserves special recognition for the tireless, community-rooted work they do every day. Together with AIWA, they’ve run multiple rounds of the Slatsk program (meaning “takeoff” in Armenian), training women in in-demand skills and connecting them with real employment opportunities.
The most recent round, Slatsk 4, just wrapped up. Here’s what it looked like from the inside.
Slatsk 4: By the Numbers
- 78 applications received
- 25 participants selected
- 18 certificates awarded
- ~40 training sessions delivered (online and offline)
- 9+ months of programming, from June 2025 to March 2026
These numbers tell part of the story. But the real measure of impact lives in what each of those 18 women is now equipped to do.
A Program Built Around Real-World Readiness
Slatsk 4 focused on training women to work as certified Virtual Assistants — a profession with growing global demand that can be done remotely, making it especially meaningful for women who may have caregiving responsibilities or limited geographic mobility.
The reskilling program was developed in partnership with the American University of Armenia (AUA) Extension Program and covered seven modules spanning digital literacy, calendar and task management, AI tools, professional communication, and freelancing readiness.
Beyond technical training, the program included English language classes to prepare participants to work with international clients, soft skills sessions on communication and customer service, and mental health support, a meaningful acknowledgment that rebuilding a professional life after displacement is emotionally demanding work.
A Platform to Launch From
Training is only valuable if it leads somewhere. That’s why Hub Artsakh is building an online platform* to showcase each graduate as a professional, with individual profiles highlighting their skills and background, connecting participants directly with potential clients, including international ones.
This kind of direct market linkage is central to what AIWA Empower Path stands for: not just teaching skills, but opening doors.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to each and every one of you. Beyond the invaluable knowledge and skills gained, this program provided a meaningful opportunity to connect with strong women from Artsakh, and most importantly, to realize that people from Artsakh are not forgotten by kind and patriotic individuals.”
— AIWA Empower Path x Hub Artsakh Slatsk participant
Sign up here to be notified when the platform goes live.
The Bigger Picture
Slatsk is one program within one partnership. But it reflects a model that AIWA Empower Path has been refining since its launch and one that is already showing results across multiple partner organizations and regions.
Since 2023, Empower Path has grown into a global initiative. In Armenia, AIWA has partnered with Hub Artsakh and the Armenia Round Table Foundation (ART) to support displaced women from Artsakh across Yerevan, Vartenis, and the Ararat region. The initiative has now expanded to Lebanon as well, partnering with the Jinishian Memorial Organization and the Karagheusian Association to reach Armenian women facing profound economic hardship amid Lebanon’s ongoing political and economic instability. Across all partners and cohorts, over 170 women have been trained and supported, each one taking a meaningful step toward financial independence.
AIWA Empower Path remains committed to standing alongside Armenian women, wherever they are, whatever challenges they face until sustainable, dignified work is within reach.
Want to support Armenian women through similar programs? Visit aiwainternational.org and donate. (Mention “Empower Path” in the comments.)
