Lusine Avetyan “Woman’s Hands Touched the Village and the Picture is Changed…”

Lusine Avetyan is an engineer by profession and used to teach at Karahunj school village. She entered the village council with a desire to change things for her three children so they study in a renovated and heated school, receive an appropriate education and run an advanced lifestyle. She dealt with many co-villagers due to her profession and was well aware of the issues Karahunj village was facing.

Her first attempt was glorious and Ms. Avetyan was elected as the Community Leader in 2002.

“Six men and only one woman proposed their candidacy. My election was a unique one, since I won without election program and pre-election campaign. I guess recognition towards my family played a major factor during my elections. My husband is an entrepreneur and we run a small market in the village. Everyone could see that we supported those who needed assistance and I may say that during the first round I was elected due to respect towards my family. During the following elections people re-elected me for the works I did. There were a lot of challenges in the beginning. I was the first woman Community Leader in Syunik region. Being the sole woman during the meetings was making me feel uncomfortable, but later it became a regular thing. Now the number of women mayors is increased. In the beginning I even felt glances and remarks that wanted to say “what do you do here”, but now everything is changed. I stand firmly and I proved that I can manage rather well. Moreover, some of my male colleagues contact me and clarify how we resolved this or that issue, or whom to address with this or that specific matter. Most of my colleagues are impressed that all international organizations operating in Syunik region make investments in Karahunj village. Thus they often ask me to share my strategy for cooperation with them,” Ms. Lusine recalls her past path with a smile on her face and adds that difficulties are given to overcome.

“We have formed a community active group and the word can’t is excluded for us. We have constructed a kindergarten, renovated the school, the municipal building, the health post, the central road, installed an irrigation system, resolved the issues of illumination during the evening hours, as well as the garbage removal issues.”

As per Ms. Lusine “a woman’s hand touched the village and it has changed”.

“Some communities are still in challenging situation and I am sure that if their management is trusted to knowledgeable, responsible and reliable women the communities will soon overcome all challenges,” concluded the Karahunj Community Leader.

By Hasmik Harutyunyan