Zaruhi Hovhannisyan
The existing tough rules on Armenia’s labor market are not adjusted to the specific needs and problems of women, according to a female human rights activists.In comments to the Armenian service of RFE/RL (Azatutyun), Zaruhi Hovhannisyan addressed particularly the short period of the maternity leave, which she said is often treated as an “extra burden” for many employers.
“That extra burden, so to speak, is paid to an employee who doesn’t work de-facto in a given period of time, and that makes women more sensitive in practice. As for the traditional perception, yes, that problem does really exist. Unemployment, from the point of view of domestic violence, is treated also as a form of economic violence, as a specific method of depriving a woman of [the opportunity to earn] her own income, have the freedom of mobility to choose where to work and how, and most importantly – realize her potential as a specialist,” she added.
Hovhannisyan noted that despite females’ higher engagement in the educational sector, women have a considerably lower status and presence on the labor market. “That [stereotype] is also imposed by families, as we traditionally see this kind of understanding of the woman’s as a housewife,” she noted.
Hovhannisyan attributed the existing inequalities and discrimination to the dominating mentality in the Armenian society. “Our logic [is still too immature] to develop the perception that fathers too, can take a paid parental leave to replace mothers for six months, for instance, to be feel their own role in the process of raising the child. It should not absolutely matter [for employers] whether a man or a woman has applied for a specific job. That problem exists, in a hidden form, also in the government [agencies], as they very often avoid to hire females, considering men more predictable and stable,” she added.