On October 13, a roundtable discussion entitled “Promoting Women’s participation in Armenia’s Armed Forces and the Role of Military Education in Advancing Gender Equality” was held through cooperation between the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia and the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF).
Siranush Sahakyan, director of the International and Comparative Law Center, also participated in the roundtable discussion. Other participants included representatives of state bodies and civil society, as well as Armenian and international experts.
In her remarks, Anahit Manasyan specifically addressed gender stereotypes prevalent in society, noting that they convey distorted perceptions of the social roles of both women and men and hinder the full realization of equal rights.
The discussion also addressed cases of sexual harassment against women, which are widespread worldwide. In this regard, emphasis was placed on implementing prevention mechanisms, explicitly addressing these issues, and involving all stakeholders in resolving them.
Anahit Manasyan drew particular attention to the need to expand women’s participation in the armed forces, noting that although women’s involvement has increased in recent years, their representation at the decision-making level remains limited. The Defender also emphasized the importance of continuously improving service conditions, stressing that true equality requires not only equal treatment but also the creation of conditions that take women’s specific needs into account.
The event addressed opportunities to expand women’s participation in the armed forces, existing challenges, overcoming discrimination and stereotypes, creating an inclusive environment, and the role of military education in promoting gender equality.
The Armenian version of DCAF’s “Teaching Gender in the Military” handbook was also presented during the event.