Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07YEREVAN906
2007-07-17 03:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:  

ARMENIA GETS FIRST FEMALE GOVERNOR, YET GOAM REMAINS HIGHLY

Tags:  PGOV PREL KWMN PINR AM 
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VZCZCXRO4258
RR RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHYE #0906 1980302
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 170302Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5970
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0390
UNCLAS YEREVAN 000906 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL AND EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KWMN PINR AM
SUBJECT: ARMENIA GETS FIRST FEMALE GOVERNOR, YET GOAM REMAINS HIGHLY
GENDER IMBALANCED

(U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.

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SUMMARY
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UNCLAS YEREVAN 000906

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL AND EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KWMN PINR AM
SUBJECT: ARMENIA GETS FIRST FEMALE GOVERNOR, YET GOAM REMAINS HIGHLY
GENDER IMBALANCED

(U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.

--------------
SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) On July 11 the GOAM appointed Armenia's first ever female
governor to run the region of Shirak; despite this unexpected move,
Armenian executive and legislative bodies remain starkly
underrepresented by women. END SUMMARY.

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A FEMALE GOVERNOR!
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2. (SBU) In handing out one of ten governorships this week, the new
Cabinet appointed Lida Nanyan, 59, to run the northwestern region of
Shirak, home to Armenia's second largest city, Gyumri. Prior to
this appointment, Nanyan served as head of the region's Tax
authority, and her family is reported to have large business
interests in the region and close ties with the Prime Minister Serzh
Sargsyan. The Republican Party endorsed Nanyan's candidacy though
her official stance is non-partisan.

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THE GOAM'S GENDER GAP
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3. (SBU) Despite this unexpected appointment, Armenian executive and
legislative bodies remain strictly understaffed with women. Of the
18 members of the new Cabinet, only three deputy-ministers and the
Minister of Culture are women. The May 12 Parliamentary elections
somewhat boosted the presence of women in the Parliament, up from 7
to 12; however, this still constitutes only a small fraction
percentage (9.1) of the 131-member legislature. Moreover, all of
these women came to power via party lists; none were elected through
single-mandate constituencies.


4. (SBU) An interesting female parliamentarian -- who in many ways
is the exception that proves the rule -- is Hranoush Hakobyan.
Republican party leaders persuaded the veteran MP from Gavar to
trade in her single mandate seat for a high position on the party
list for the May elections. In the new Parliament, the nominally
non-partisan Hakobyan chairs the Science and Education Committee and
in the past has been active on women's health and trafficking
issues.

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COMMENT: IT'S UP TO THEM
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5. (SBU) With the current state of Armenia's money-driven and
male-dominated political sphere, women politicians face an uphill
battle to be recognized and to achieve the clout necessary to play a
significant part in the game of Armenian politics. As a result,
with the possible exception of Hakobyan, most pro-governmental
female parliamentarians are generally viewed as token quota-fillers,
who keep a low-profile and who do not seek to be activists or even
role models for women's rights. In contrast to their female
colleagues on the pro-governmental side of the chamber, a number of
active and outspoken women -- including Armenia's first ombudswoman,
Larisa Alaverdyan -- now sit in Parliament on the opposition side
representing the Heritage Party. These women have the potential to
change the image of the female politician for the better. Despite
Lida Nanyan's position in Shirak, it more likely will be these
Heritage Party women in Parliament who will have more to say about
the future role of women in Armenia than the new governor.

PERINA