Lyudmila Harutyunyan: “Machos beating women were not surprising, but…”

Sociologist, Doctor of Philosophical Sciences, YSU Professor Lyudmila Harutyunyan, during the conversation with Hayelli.am referring to the February events in the Yerevan Council of Elders, assessed the role of women in the public life of Armenia.

According to the sociologist, female leaders are divided into three groups. The first group is women’s leaders in men’s shoes, who are moved forward and taken to the field by men, and ultimately realize the goals of men. The second type is the rule breakers: those who violate accepted rules go against them and create a public movement, thus leading the society. The third type is reconcilers who accept or criticize both parties.

“During the conflict in the Yerevan City Council, I saw these three types of women”. According to her, the sewage conflict at the Council of Elders’ Council session is a brilliant example of women’s manifestation, where the members of the “Yerkir Tsirani” faction acted as rule breakers. “The machos beating women were not so surprising, I was surprised at the medieval women in European clothes who were representatives of the government and told what the real Armenian woman should look like and what she should do. I think that these women in European clothing did not move on from the 18th century and they do not know anything about the role of women or women’s movement. They just do not realize that they live in 21^st century. Even if they think so they should not express their backwardness”.

The other group of women – reconcilers, who said both sides were wrong, it should not have been solved like that. Women of this type have no real benefit to society and women’s movement.

Full text in Armenian