Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Gender Attitudes of Yerevan State University Students - Survey Results

Introduction


Gender equality has been a topic of discussion in Armenian society ever since Armenia
gained independence. Just as many other post-soviet countries, Armenia ratified various
international conventions and developed national polices to protect women’s rights and ensure
equality between men and women. However, the perceptions and attitudes of people in regards
to gender equality are not always positive. This is due to a widespread opinion, that gender
equality is something imposed by the European countries, and the US, and might destroy
Armenian families, giving women more power, and empowering them to raise their voices. Now,
apart from the misinterpretation of gender equality, there are also various factors specific to any
patriarchal society that contribute to the poor participation of women in politics, preventing the
full and effective involvement of women in the labor market. Among the main obstacles
influencing this situation, the following may be identified: lack of economic and social capital
among women; too much family responsibilities for women; certain expectations that women
(finding their origin in Armenian cultural values) should be humble, play a secondary and
supportive role, and not pursue career ambitions with passion; the well-known phenomena of
the glass ceiling; and the defamation of an organization and individuals who work for gender
equality. 


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