Get acquainted with newly elected female MPs of Armenia

On January 14^th, the newly elected National Assembly of the 7th convocation will convene its first session. The new parliament, as opposed to the previous convocation of the National Assembly, which had 105 members, consists of 132 members. There are three forces in parliament: The “My Step” bloc has 88 mandates, the second largest party, the Prosperous Armenia Party, has 26 mandates, the third – “Bright Armenia” has 18 seats. Newly elected National Assembly deputies received their mandates on January 10^th during the solemn ceremony held at the Spendiaryan National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet, and for the first time, not by the Central Electoral Commission Chairman, but by the 28 voters selected randomly by computer.

The composition of the National Assembly of the seventh convocation has essentially been upgraded, with only 30 of the 132 MPs having a parliamentary work experience. Parliament is also young, the average age of MPs is 35 years. Of the newly elected MPs, 32 or 24% are women, more than 18% of the previous convocation. Progress has been largely secured by women who have passed through a rating system. According to the results of these elections, 12 women went to the parliament by territorial lists, and only two of them last.

The highest representation of women is in the “My Step” bloc faction – 23 out of 88 MPs are women (26%).

It is not necessary to present the 36-year-old Lena Nazaryan, head of the “Exit” faction of the previous convocation. 11,300 voters cast ballots in the polling station N 2 in her favor.

Former Minister of Culture Lilit Makunts was also elected to the NA from the same constituency. He has 5087 votes.

Hripsime Grigoryan was elected from electoral district N 3. She received 4019 votes.

Tatevik Gasparyan has been elected to the NA from electoral district 5 and 9 390 voters voted in favor of her.

Taguhi Tovmasyan was elected from electoral district # 8, which is Gegharkunik province, who is well-known for her journalistic activities as editor of Zhoghovurd newspaper. 7114 voters voted for her.

Arpine Davoyan has been elected from electoral district # 9, which includes Lori province. She received 8139 votes.

Lilit Stepanyan was sent to the NA from the electoral district # 10, which included Kotayk region. 3847 voters voted for her.

Two women were elected to the National Assembly from constituency # 11 in Shirak region. One of them is acting deputy governor of Shirak region Sofia Hovsepyan.

Nazeli Baghdasaryan is the second woman elected from the 11th constituency. She was the advisor to Shirak’s governor before, she is  35 years old.

The following women from “My Step” received a mandate from the nationwide list of blocs:

Maria Karapetyan: She is a member of the Civil Treaty Party, born in 1988, the director of the IMEAGINE Conflict Mitigation Center.

Narine Khachaturyan, who is most famous for her surname Tukhikyan. She is the director of Tumanyan’s House Museum, non-party, born in 1962, a member of Yerevan Council of Elders.

Gayane Abrahamyan, who is well-known for her journalistic activities, was elected a member of the Yerevan Council of Elders in September this year, non-party, president of the NGO “Equal Rights Education Center”, born in 1979.

Lusine Badalyan, a renowned TV, radio broadcaster. She worked briefly in Yerevan Council of Elders. She is a member of the Civil Defense Organization, born in 1980.

Anush Begloyan is a PR specialist, lecturer at the French University of Armenia, worked at the Council of Europe Office in Armenia as an expert, member of the Civil Treatyt party, born in 1969.

Heriknaz Tigranyan is a lawyer and is known for her public work prior to her election as a lawyer at Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center. She also specializes in labor law, non-party, born in 1972.

Anna Karapetyan. The head of the first vice-president’s office was a member of the “Civil Treaty” party, born in 1977.

Christine Poghosyan First Deputy Prime Minister’s Assistant, member of the Civil Treaty Party, born in 1982.

Taguhi Ghazaryan: Public Relations and Information Center SNCO expert, member of the “Civil Contract” party, born in 1991.

Sona Ghazaryan: She is an employee of the Information and Public Relations Division of the Real Estate and Cadastre Committee, a member of the “CivilTratyt” party, born in 1993.

Mary Galstyan Ministry of Nature Protection, Minister’s Advisor, Lecturer, American University, non-party, born in 1988.

Tatevik Hayrapetyan: YSU lecturer, member of the “Civil Treaty” party, born in 1989.

Tsovinar Vardanyan. HM Tils CJSC Executive Director, member of the “Civil Treaty” party, born in 1980.

Arusyak Julhakyan Member of the Yerevan City Council, a member of the Civil Treaty Party, born in 1983.

Out of 26 mandates belonging to the Prosperous Armenia Party, 5 are women (19%). All PAP female parliamentarians were represented in the previous National Assembly.

Two of them were selected by territorial lists, Nora Arustamyan from N7 electoral district and Naira Zohrabyan from N12 electoral district.

Women from the first part of the national list – Iveta Tonoyan, Shake Isayan and Karine Poghosyan will go to the National Assembly.

Four of the 18 mandates of the “Bright Armenia” party were women (22.2%).

Mane Tandilyan, the only female candidate elected from the 4th constituency, was the only female MP who was selected from the rating list in 2017. This time 3,636 voters voted for her.

The following women got mandates from the national list:

Samsonyan Ani is a member of Yerevan Council of Elders, a journalist by profession, has been a spokesman for the “Bright Armenia” party, then the “Exit” bloc. She is 28 years old.

Anna Kostanyan is a linguist by profession, has graduated from Yerevan State University. At Yerevan State Linguistic University after V. Brusov as well as Yerevan School of Political Studies. She is a founding member of the “Bright Armenia” party since 2015, a member of the party’s governing board since February 2018, born in 1987.

Grigoryan Srbuhi is the head of the Women’s Resource Center in Sisian, a member of the “Bright Armenia” party, born in 1974.