Zaruhi Batoyan: “My voter is the one who emphasizes social justice, who says NO to violence and discrimination”

WomenNet.am’s interlocutor is Deputy Candidate, RA Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Zaruhi Batoyan presented at the 10th place of the “My Step” bloc’s national list and nominated by Yerevan’s N1 electoral district. While holding a public office is known as a public figure who actively participated in protecting the rights of persons with disabilities. She says women’s role is important to have a balanced policy, to provide new values, to provide opinions, and, most importantly, to encourage other women.

Zaruhi Batoyan was born in 1979 in Yerevan, graduated from YSU Faculty of Journalism, also studied at the School of Young Leaders. She is a graduate of the Women’s Leadership and Disability Institute (WILD) at Mobility International USA (MIUSA). 1999-2014 She was the editor-in-chief of “Sunflower” youth magazine, since 2007, responsible for the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities at “Bridge of Hope” NGO, since 2014, the founder and president of “Disibilit Info” Information NGO and Zartprint LLC. In 2016, she was elected a member of the Civilitas Board, and in 2017 – as a member of the Yerevan Council of Elders. In June 2018 she was appointed RA Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs.

• I have always attached importance to people’s participation in decision-making. Only in this case can we record success, this is also my experience. And the voters also know it with their experience because they have made a revolution. And in order to make the revolution complete, we have to continue participating in political processes, including in the elections, by giving our vote to our chosen candidate, but demanding and directing him in his future activities. I try to make that message accessible to voters. Besides, I attach importance to the social sphere and I intend to keep the right to work, especially to women. There is plenty of work to do to ensure the right of the child to live in a family and to the process of decentralization with children who are in difficult life situations.

In the protection of women’s rights I believe that we should improve the mechanisms for preventing domestic violence. Many strong and experienced organizations work in this area and we just have to listen to their questions.

It is important to protect women’s right to work, especially in the private sector because they now have a problem not only of their low wages, but also of their parents ‘and children’ s birth and vacation leave.

In the protection of children’s rights, we need to increase the volume of community services so that we can make the process of deinstitutionalization real. A child should live in the family and the state should take decisive action.