More than 80 participants, including over 50 women entrepreneurs, came together in Yerevan for the event “Gender and Green Finance: Challenges and Opportunities in Armenia”, held on 18 March 2026, organised by the EBRD’s GEFF in Armenia.

The event brought together women’s organisations, forums and business networks, alongside representatives of GEFF partner financial institutions, the EBRD, the German-Armenian Fund, green technology vendors and development partners, to explore how green finance can better support women-led businesses in Armenia.

GEFF in Armenia supports investments in energy and resource efficient, as well as renewable energy technologies by combining financing with technical expertise, helping businesses adopt solutions that reduce costs and improve performance.

Opening the event, Gernot Kuhlisch, Programme Manager of the GEFF in Armenia, pointed to a shift already underway. Women entrepreneurs, he noted, are not only participating in the green transition, but increasingly shaping it. The challenge is ensuring they have access to the right tools to do so.

That gap was a recurring theme. Victoria Stefaniuk, International Gender Expert of the GEFF team, spoke about the practical barriers, such as access, information, confidence in navigating financial products, women entrepreneurs continue to face when accessing green finance.

From there, the focus turned to what is already working. Andro Butkhuzi, Deputy Manager of GEFF in Armenia, presented concrete investment opportunities, along with the Green Technology Selector and examples of businesses already moving towards more sustainable operations. Building on this, technology providers Celsius LLC and EcoStep LLC showcased solutions that are not future concepts, but technologies already in use, including heating systems, solar installations and energy-efficient equipment that can reduce both costs and emissions.

A panel discussion brought together representatives from the EBRD, financial institutions, business associations and women entrepreneurs to discuss how to strengthen gender-inclusive green finance in the country.

The event also attracted wider public interest, with well-known Armenian figures in attendance, including architect and Radio HAY founder Anahit Tarkhanyan, world champion weightlifter and the first Armenian woman to win a world title Nazik Avdalyan, and media personality Lili Hover.

Beyond the formal programme, the energy in the room carried into the networking sessions. Conversations continued between entrepreneurs, bankers and technology providers, with many participants discussing concrete projects, financing needs and next steps.

The level of engagement throughout the event made one thing clear: interest in green finance among women entrepreneurs in Armenia is not just growing, it is already translating into action.