US embassy cable - 05YEREVAN2007

UNCLAS YEREVAN 002007 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR DRL AND EUR/CACEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, AM 
SUBJECT: AND THEN THERE WERE TWO...DWINDLING NUMBER OF 
WOMEN IN THE GOAM 
 
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
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DEPMIN'S DISMISSAL:  FROM BAD TO WORSE 
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2. (SBU) On November 8 the GOAM announced the removal 
of Lilit Asatryan as Deputy Minister of Culture and 
Youth Affairs, leaving only two women in deputy 
ministerial positions.  Following Asatryan's removal, 
women fill only two of the 78 ministerial and deputy 
ministerial seats in the government.  Although the GOAM 
is quick to cite its April 2004 National Action Plan on 
Improving the Status of Women and Enhancing their Role 
in the Society, an Armenian woman has not filled a 
cabinet-level position for over two years.  Women 
constitute a mere nine percent in the National Assembly 
(7 of 131).  Only one of these MPs, Hranoush Hakobyan, 
was elected in a single-mandate district with its 
attendant considerable independent political clout. 
Critics, including local and international NGOs, argue 
convincingly that women played a greater role in 
national and local government during Armenia's 
unlamented Soviet era. 
 
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GOAM SLOW TO TAKE MEASURES 
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3. (SBU) Jemma Hasratsyan, President of the Association 
of Women with a University Education, blames the 
current situation on the lack of a genuine government 
policy on women and the absence of proven mechanisms to 
ensure women's participation in the decision-making 
process.  Eleanora Virabyan, a specialist from the 
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (the state body in 
charge of the GOAM's action plan on women), told us 
that the Ministry was concerned about the low level of 
women's representation in the GOAM, particularly in 
light of the November 8 announcement.  According to 
Virabyan, the Ministry had submitted a plan to the 
Prime Minister aimed at remedying the situation.  One 
measure was a draft "Law on Ensuring the Creation of 
Equal Conditions for Men and Women" that would address 
the issue of impediments to women who seek to enter 
government service through appointments or elections. 
 
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COMMENT 
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4. (SBU) Despite the fact that high-profile Armenian 
women lead dozens of NGOs and international 
organizations and that women make-up the majority of 
the GOAM's civil service, the GOAM lags behind even 
Armenia's admittedly restrictive cultural norms 
regarding gender roles.  The GOAM has an opportunity, 
however, to take a hard look at the implementation of 
its action plans affecting women in government, 
acknowledge the absence of women in high-level GOAM 
positions, and identify ways to genuinely encourage the 
full participation of all members of Armenian society 
in political life. 
EVANS