“The enlargement process is not the only reason for reducing women’s representation …”

The line of different elections, which started in the autumn of last year from the elections of the local self-government, is approaching to its end. This year’s last elections will be held in November, when 325 communities will be united in 34 boulevards.

The experience of last year’s elections shows that women’s percentage representation is 2-3 times lower in community councils than in communities before enlargement. This is a dry statistics that indicates that the enlargement process so far has had a negative impact on women’s political advancement at the local level. However, our interlocutor, Head of Local Self-Government of the Ministry of Territorial Administration, Ashot Giloyan, disagrees with the opinion that the enlargement of communities will definitely reduce the representation of women in local self-governance bodies.

“In 18 major communities, the process may have had a negative impact on women, but I would like to emphasize that not only enlargement has  negative impact, but our beloved, dear women who consider themselves as leaders and participate in competition, in case of enlargement avoid of it.  I do not know why, but for some reason, they avoid this step. That is to say, women in these communities have not even been nominated for some reason or fear, and if they did not run, how would they be elected? “, – said Ashot Giloyan.

Our observation, that women even in their own community were struggling to compete with men, so in the conditions of enlargement the problem of ensuring equal conditions for all candidates will be more difficult, was compounded by the representative of the Ministry who brought Tegh community, as an example, qualifying it as a community with stereotypes. In spite of it, as said Giloyan, there are three women council members in the area.

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