UNFPA: Supporting Gender Equality in Armenia

What's the situation?

Armenia's transition from a republic of the former Soviet Union to Independence has had a major impact on the status of women. While Armenia was still under communist regime, families experienced modest financial security even if their personal freedoms, incomes and opportunities were very limited by the political system. The communist "quota" system ensured a proportion of female representation in parliament and in enterprises. Education was strongly encouraged by the state for both boys and girls.

Immediately after regaining independence, Armenia plunged into a period of deep economic depression, exacerbated by an energy crisis, armed conflict, and the continuing financial and social cost of a devastating earthquake in 1988. The crisis, combined with new freedom to travel, led to a huge wave of migration from Armenia, with approximately one million people, a quarter of the population leaving the country since 1990.

Although Armenia's economy has made a remarkable recovery, the social transformation and economic difficulties of the early 1990s caused a deterioration in the status of women which is still being felt. Although Independence has brought new personal and social freedoms and women's participation in education remains high, women have been less able to succeed in the new and more aggressive competition in post-communist Armenia.
The migration of a large portion of the male workforce has further increased pressures on the women who have remained behind to run the home, care for children and elderly or sick relatives.

With the end of the artificial communist "quotas" and since the first years of independence, very few women were able to make a break through to participate in political life. However, some progress was made in the field of women’s political participation manifested through increase of women’s representation in Parliament (10% of parliament seats are held by women as a result of 2007 parliamentary elections) and appointment of one female Minister and few Deputies in the government. Women's participation in privatization and other economic processes is also lagging behind that of men. Employment for women remains heavily concentrated in education, health, and services.

However, the percentage of women in administrative and managerial positions has been steadily increasing. Women also dominate Non Governmental Organizations; at least 80 percent of NGOs in Armenia are leaded by women. Yet, the ability of NGO sector to influence important decisions in political, economic and social life is still limited and dialogue with the government and society needs to be improved to give NGOs more credibility for participation in decision-making processes.

In 2000, the Women's Council, a consultative body, was created by the Prime Minister's Office. In 2002, a deputy minister of Labor and Social Affairs was appointed to coordinate gender-related activities. However, these bodies that tackle social, health-related, and employment concerns have neither the resources nor the power to influence effective policies for women's rights and equal opportunities. A “2004-2010 Republic of Armenia National Action Plan on Improving the Status of Women and Enhancing Their Role in the Society” was adopted by the Government in 2003, but its implementation has so far been weak.

Gender-based violence is widespread in Armenia and culturally accepted by both men and women: a survey conducted in 2000 by “Minnesota Advocates” international NGO revealed that 42% of men and 32% of women agree with at least one reason for beating wives. A research on domestic violence (DV) in Armenia conducted in the year 2007 by a local NGO, indicated that although the figures slightly deviated from the year 2000 data, the situation remained alarming:

• About 60% of surveyed women admitted that domestic violence is widespread problem in Armenia;
• 27% of surveyed Armenian women experienced moderate physical abuse with 16% experiencing it often or sometimes;
• 1 in 10 surveyed Armenian women has been either pushed, grabbed or shoved, or slapped on the body, arms or legs, or demanded sex when she did not wanted, or physically forced to do something against her will;
• About 12% of surveyed Armenian women experienced severe physical abuse with 6% experiencing it often or sometimes; and
• In most cases men are the initiators of domestic violence against women which takes a form of psychological, physical and sexual abuse ranging from moderate to severe scales.

DV cases are rarely reported, documented, and almost never prosecuted. Since Armenia doesn't have any kind of victim protection scheme, victims and their families hesitate to go police for fear of discrimination and the possibility of further violence.
Poverty and lack of equal opportunities increased vulnerability of women and girls in Armenia to trafficking. Since 2002, the Government has made considerable progress in strengthening its anti-trafficking response. Trafficking is now recognized as a crime and the police have become more active in breaking up trafficking rings.
Armenia has ratified the UN Convention against Trans-national Organized Crime and the relevant Protocols and adopted “RoA National Action Plan on the Fight against Exploitation of Humans (Trafficking) in the Republic of Armenia 2007-2009”. There have been campaigns to educate the public about trafficking. But much more needs to be done to strengthen the State's capacity to combat trafficking; improve its policies and laws; assist victims and raise awareness of the public on the problem.
During both the Soviet era and in the years that immediately followed after regaining independence, sexual and reproductive health education in Armenia was largely ignored. The main sources of information for men and women have been peers and magazines.
Due to the poverty in Armenia the number of unwanted pregnancies has considerably decreased. However, because of the lack of availability and accessibility of RH or family planning services, women still resort to abortion as a means of fertility regulation. It is estimated that 21 per cent of pregnancies are terminated.
The high number of abortions, coupled with a general low standard of healthcare and malnutrition has resulted in a high rate of reproductive morbidity and infections and consequently high rates of secondary infertility. This in turn had a high economic and social cost.
Access to contraceptives in Armenia has improved considerably since 1996 and knowledge of contraceptive methods is very high (99 percent of married women). However, consumption of contraceptives remains at low levels due to high prices.
Both men and women in Armenia are at increasing risk of sexually transmitted infections. Armenia belongs to a region within which HIV/AIDS is spreading fast and its population is further endangered by the fact that it has close migration ties with countries with dangerously high STIs/HIV/AIDS growth rates, i.e. Russia and Ukraine. In recent decades there has been an increase in sexually transmitted infections in Armenia, particularly syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis.

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