Open letter on women’s participation in elections

We, the undersigned non-governmental organizations,

Express our concern over the political decision-making level in Armenia, including the low representation of women in the RA National Assembly, which is a direct violation of the principle of gender equality prescribed by Article 30 of the RA Constitution and proves the inefficient use of human capital in the management system, endangering the country’s sustainable development course.

At the invitation of First Deputy Prime Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, a meeting with women’s rights NGOs will take place on Friday, July 6, at 10:00 am on the reform of electoral legislation.

On the eve of the process of reforming the Electoral Code of the Republic of Armenia, based on:

• laws and program papers in the Republic of Armenia on equal rights and equal opportunities for men and women,
• The obligations undertaken by the Republic of Armenia within the framework of the UN, the Council of Europe and other international organizations on the full realization of women’s political rights and decision-making, including equal representation of men and women in elective bodies,
• Paragraph 4 of Article 86 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, in which promoting equality between women and men is defined as the main objective of state policy,

we are offering a proposal to the Commission on Reform of the Electoral Legislation Adjunct to the RA Prime Minister and to the working group formed for the reform of electoral legislation in the RA National Assembly.

In particular, we offer:

– Include the issue of providing mechanisms for guaranteeing equal participation of men and women in the elective bodies of the electoral reform, including the issues related to the improvement of the quota for 30/70  gender ratio on party lists by Article 83, paragraphs 4 and 10 of the RA Electoral Code.

We are ready to provide additional facts and analyzes on the topic and especially on the issue that the use of any type of “open” lists during the proportional election is a serious and insurmountable obstacle for female candidates. We expect that these arguments will serve as a basis for effective dialogue, the goal of which is for all of us to ensure free and fair elections in Armenia.