Ruling Party Targets Women: Disrespectful Attitude Towards Candidates

According to the "Zhoghovurd" daily, "The role of women in the new Armenia is significant and vital. Evidence of this is that two years ago, the unprecedented political activism of women became the turning point that allowed for historical changes to take place in Armenia." After coming to power, Nikol Pashinyan presented the rising significance of women in politics with such emphasis and rhetoric, wrapped in illustrative and beautiful language.

The ruling majority had made it their flag that many female officials are in the state apparatus during their reign, including the Prosecutor General and the Minister of Health, and so on. However, what is the real picture? The best insight into the attitude of this leadership towards female officials can be gathered by merely following the events that transpired in the National Assembly in the past two days.

For nearly two days, the parliament discussed the election of the members of the Anti-Corruption Council. Both candidates proposed for the position were women: the former chair of the Anti-Corruption Council, Haykhuhi Harutyunyan, and the head of the council's administration, Narine Avetisyan. The disrespectful, offensive, and aggressive attitude displayed by the members of the ruling Civil Contract party towards the female candidates was evident for all to see.

The ruling party, taking advantage of its majority status, "attacked" the female candidates and clearly attempted to exert psychological pressure and belittle them. In the end, they showed a severely humiliating attitude by refusing even to participate in the voting for them.

ArmLur.am reported that even outside the parliamentary sessions, the Civil Contract party showed a disrespectful attitude towards the female candidates and did not even provide them a proper waiting area in the parliamentary rooms, forcing them to wait in the corridors instead. All of this clearly indicates that Nikol Pashinyan's government prefers to make lofty and pleasing statements, while in reality, it is the members of his party who target women.