OSCE Office in Yerevan

Political and economic empowerment of women

Women are under-represented in Armenia's political and economic life. Only nine per cent of the MPs in the Armenian Parliament are women and only two per cent of all village mayors in Armenia are women. To empower women and promote their involvement in political and economic life, the Office in Yerevan supports a number of activities, which have recently included:

• A study on the 2007 parliamentary elections examining participation by women in elections and what prevents them from participating politically.
• An assessment, together with the OSCE Program Implementation Presence in Syunik, to see what can be done to enhance employment opportunities for local women, as well as their business skills and representation in political bodies. The Office has also supported a project to enhance women's business skills in Kapan.

Gender issues in the media

To promote women's issues and counter prejudice and stereotypical views of the role of women in society, the Office supports better coverage of gender issues in the media. This includes an initiative by a local non-governmental organization to publish a monthly newspaper insert in three Armenian language and one Russian language national newspapers on women, politics and society. The insert promotes a gender-balanced image of women, as well as promoting women's issues and political involvement. The Office is also planning seminars and training workshops for journalists and editors to raise the quality of media coverage of women and gender issues, and is organizing a competition for the best/worst articles and TV coverage of gender issues.

Implementation of gender-related legislation

Armenian legislation includes a number of articles relevant to the promotion of women and gender issues. However, these articles are rarely applied and they are little known among practicing lawyers. The Office supports training sessions for legal professionals on Armenia's current legislative framework in relation to the promotion of women and gender issues in order to raise their awareness and promote implementation of this legislation.