We Are Constantly Wished for Feminine Happiness, the Meaning of Which I Have Never Understood: Srbuhi Galyan

“A few days ago, I spoke at TEDxYerevanSalon under the theme ‘Everyone is Different, Everyone is Equal’. I discussed the discrimination against women, the devaluation of our achievements, and the societal roles that are ‘entrusted’ to us,” Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan wrote on her Facebook page.

“I believe you will agree that the perception of a woman's role in our society is often limited. We are assigned a specific role: to be a good wife, a good mother, a good daughter. We are always wished for feminine happiness, the meaning of which I have never understood. At the same time, while wishing for ‘feminine happiness,’ we are expected to be smart, but not too much, to be wise but to remain mostly silent, to be gentle but not to notice what should not be noticed, to be prudent, to be beautiful and charming, and to be tirelessly accommodating.”

“There is also a phenomenon where a woman’s success is often devalued. Perhaps the reason lies precisely in the roles assigned to us. A woman is often not seen as an individual, an independent entity. It is commonly believed that a woman is always someone’s: someone’s daughter, someone’s wife, someone’s mistress, someone’s mother. And when a woman succeeds, that success is often attributed to that ‘someone’ rather than to the woman, her intellect, diligence, and perseverance.”

“Dear women, there is a real opportunity in our country today to be who you want to be. To achieve that, you must be guided by your own standards, educate yourselves, grow, work, and love yourselves. I love you all and am proud of your achievements,” Galyan wrote.