Coalition Against Violence Against Women Issues Statement Regarding Andranik Kocharyan

On November 17, 2023, Andranik Kocharyan, the chairman of the National Assembly Defense and Security Committee, made yet another sexist remark towards a female journalist. The Coalition Against Violence Against Women has issued a statement regarding this incident.

The statement also indicates that in response to a question about the situation on Armenia's eastern border, he reproached the journalist in disdain, saying, "I know the situation of the boys; you go to the hairdresser." Such overtly sexist expressions have become commonplace for high-ranking officials in Armenia, as both past and present officials have used sexism as a tool to humiliate female journalists (for instance, the former police chief Vladimir Gasparyan's remark, "I don't see a woman in you," which also prompted a strong statement from the Coalition Against Violence Against Women).

In fact, while the officials change, the arsenal for suppressing and humiliating women remains the same. Armenia ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women back in 1993, and Article 30 of the Armenian Constitution proclaims equality between women and men. For years, the law on "Ensuring Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Women and Men" has been in effect in the country, and its Article 6 prohibits gender discrimination. Specific measures aimed at preventing sexism are enshrined in the strategy for implementing gender policy for 2019-2023. Nevertheless, manifestations of sexism continue in the legislative body of the country.

The Coalition Against Violence Against Women expresses its concern and demands that Andranik Kocharyan's sexist behavior be investigated by the Ethics Committee of the National Assembly.