Arpine Hovhannisyan. “Quotas are important to break through the wall, but then they start to interfere women”

“It has  always been difficult for me to talk about this subject because I know it not only just hearing about  it, I know the problems you can have as a young female representative in a society which patriarchal,  stereotypical in its nature.  But at the same time it is not just by listening, that  I know that we actually have  much progress and it is not just by words, but by the numbers”, –  stated the Minister of Justice Arpine Hovhannisyan at a two-day conference “On expanding rights and opportunities of girls and women” launched on April 21^st at  American University.

She shared with the audience her belief that one of the criteria for the development of any society, is occupied positions of women in the state. And not only in terms of occupying high positions, although this is very important, but how society treats women actually and considers that women’s potential should be used or not.

“There are quite many problems in Armenia and no matter what the situation is today, the public still needs to understand the need for the use of women’s potential and opportunities. We are a small country, and it will be a great luxury and elegance for small states not to use the potential of women. I strongly believe that the use of this potential should be realized, desired and expected.

Full text in Armenian