Silva Galstyan. There are no boundaries for a woman, but it is extremely difficult to combine position and family

The interlocutor of WomenNet.am is Silva Galstyan, who is the member who received the most votes out of 11 candidates in the local elections held in the border community of Tegh, Syunik region, five years ago. 39-year-old Silva Galstyan intends to run again in the upcoming local elections this fall. She says she was hesitant in the village after the tense border situation, but people are urging her to run again.

“Five years ago, my candidacy for the Council of Elders was a demand of women, now it has become a public demand,” smiles Silva. Recalling the first large-scale local elections in September 2016, she said she was initially convinced that many would vote for her.

– I have been teaching for many years, I have my earnings in the village. There have been people who have said that they want to see me as a candidate for a mayor, but it is a harder job. “I’m not ready yet,” smiles S. Galstyan said.

Silva was first supported by the women of the village, who, using her activism, especially in raising issues related to women and taking steps to address them, offered to become a member of the Council of Elders and represent the interests of both themselves and the community.

However, if the women of the village were in favor, the family was against Silva’s candidacy.

Speaking about the work of the community council for the last five years, S. Galstyan mentions the achievements, but in fact, despite having sufficient powers defined by law, the Council of Elders uses only a small part of them.

According to the member of the Council of Elders, in order to function fully and effectively, especially the newly elected members of the Council of Elders are hindered by the lack of skills and knowledge related to local self-government, which needs to be addressed systematically as soon as possible.

According to the latter, the representation of women in local self-government bodies is in the interests of the community.

Assessing the role and involvement of women in the most important circles of the country’s governance, S. However, Galstyan thinks that not all women are ready for it.

Nevertheless, she is persistent in one question. If a woman has leadership skills, if she is ready to serve her community, her country, she should definitely run.

Full text in Armenian