Three forces, the Arush Arushanyan Bloc, the Armenian National Congress Party and the Civil Pact Party, have applied to run in the October 17 by-elections in the Goris multi-ethnic community. A total of 101 candidates are included in the electoral lists, 33 of whom are women (33%).
WomenNet.am spoke with women at the top of the list of political forces running in the local elections in Goris, offering them answers to three questions: motivations for running in the elections, priorities of the community, and difficulties during the campaign. By the way, during the conversations with the candidates, it turned out that all three are non-partisan, և equally concerned about the security of their community, considering it a top priority…
Hermine Dilanchyan
“After the war, I realized how much indifference there is towards people” Hermine Dilanchyan, an English teacher at Nerkin Khndzoresk School, is the third female candidate on the electoral list of the opposition Arush Arushanyan bloc. It is non-partisan. Dilanchyan has been active in public life for the last four years. In 2011, she studied in the United States as an exchange teacher.
– Why did you decide to run in the local elections with the list of “Arush Arushanyan” bloc? – I have never thought about entering politics or participating in the mentoring component of the “Women in Politics” program organized by the UN Development Program. After the war, I realized how much indifference there was to people. And now I see that the “Arush Arushanyan” bloc is a compassionate force, a patriot – that is the reason why I made the decision to join that team. The fact that Arush Arushanyan made a great contribution to the life of Goris during his tenure played a big role in making a decision.
– What are the priority issues that need to be addressed in the life of the community? – The most important thing is security. This is a global issue and the authorities of the community are too small to guarantee it, but it is necessary for the community to finally get out of this uncertainty. Our village is on the border, պաշտպան Border protection is a top priority for the people living there, they must be confident about their future, while today there is no such confidence, it is difficult to get out of the house every morning and see the enemy flags. The second problem is employment. Because of the war, people today can no longer be engaged in, for example, animal husbandry, which means that jobs must be created in the community, the issue of employment must be resolved one day. We have opened a bakery in Khndzoresk, seven people are already working; if such workshops are opened, it is natural that more people will be provided with jobs. The problem of employment is important in the sense that young people will not have to leave the community. Another important issue is the development of the cultural life of the community, which is completely absent today. This is also due to the lack of building conditions, we do not have any other building in the community except the school, but it is very important to have a center that would solve the problem of entertainment for people in different directions – sports, culture, etc. – What obstacles did you face on entering politics?
– There are always obstacles, they are due to stereotypes. When you present your ideas and plans, you feel that people are still in the grip of stereotypes and that is why they often do not even come to the meeting. Of course, to be fair, I should mention that this problem does not exist in Nerkin Khndzoresk, but it is visible in other villages. In recent days, I have personally felt the pressure to try to feel poor, depressed and not move forward. Including because I am a woman, men try to depress you psychologically, to influence you, but it should not hinder a woman.
Nare Hovhannisyan
is the first woman candidate on the list of the Armenian National Congress. He is a philologist in the first profession, a lawyer in the second profession. The main activity is in the public sphere, and since 2017 հիմն has established and headed the Center for Legal Initiatives, which is mainly focused on the problems of prisoners. It is non-partisan. – Why did you decide to run in the local elections on the ANC list? – I accepted the offer to run in the elections because it is about the future of my community. After the events of the war, I realized that something had to be done, because Goris was in a very difficult situation. I accepted the ANC’s offer to run because I saw that my concerns were equally expressed in the ANC program, as I am convinced that my participation can be effective in resolving these issues. I have joined the team, whose list and the pre-election program are close to my heart. – What are the priorities that need to be addressed in the community? – The main problem is that solidarity and unity must be restored in the community. In this local elections, people were fired, just like during the parliamentary elections. There is no solidarity between people, even in the same family there are people with different political views, which causes serious problems. Solidarity and unity can be restored by listening to a person’s needs and understanding them, but not on an individual level, as has been done so far, but on a systemic basis. The second priority for me is security, which is a challenge not only for the community, but also for Armenia. This is a problem that can be solved in a global, not so community context, but it is exacerbated when it is obvious that local authorities are busy clarifying interpersonal issues or scolding each other. It is also important for me to implement programs aimed at improving the life of the community. We communicate with the residents, we see that the young people are leaving the community, and the rest of the people do not have the conditions to be engaged in cattle breeding, agriculture, employment issues, etc. In this series, I would especially mention the issue of women’s employment, ie there are no minimum living conditions for people in the community. – What obstacles did you face in getting involved in politics?
Ani Galstyan.
“The main reason for running is the difficult situation we are all concerned about” Ani Galstyan is the first woman candidate on the list of the “Civil Contract” party. He is a chemist by profession, he also has a pedagogical qualification. Since 2004 he has been working at Goris State University (GSU) as a lecturer at the Department of Biological Chemistry. – Why did you decide to run in the elections with the CP list? – I am non-partisan, I have never been a representative of any party, I am not going to. Of course, maybe something will change later, I do not know, but right now I think that I am more independent and can express my opinion more freely. Why did I make a decision? As for many, the main reason is this difficult situation, which we are all concerned about. But I realized that we all criticize and talk, so why not do something ourselves? I asked myself that question: why not me, maybe I can be useful to my country in some way? – What are the priority issues that you are going to solve if elected? – The first priority is to ensure our security. Of course, this is an issue to be resolved at the state level, but our community, like any community, must have its share in this. That is the first question, the super question. We also know the geographical location of Goris, the enemy has come closer to us today. My family has been building in the former liberated areas for 15 years, my husband was building there, our family had a house-plot there, we lost it all. Of course, these material losses are incomparable with irreversible human losses, the captives, the missing. My sister’s son is also missing here… Secondly, I use the atmosphere of freedom of speech that has been present in Goris for three years now, while I will not reveal a secret if I say that in recent decades the people of Goris have always been careful not to express their will, thoughts and opinions, because the consequences are painful. been: And now it is not so, but in some cases freedom of speech is not always properly perceived by our society, freedom is a good thing, but it must be in moderation, that is my opinion. I think it is a priority for us, the community, to be able to use freedom of speech more appropriately. The third is, of course, the implementation of programs that can ensure a prosperous life for the people of Goris. When the first two are implemented: the borders are safe, we are free, we have to think about the implementation of many programs that, for example, will help solve the problems of young people, will improve education. – What obstacles did you face on entering politics?