OSCE OFFICE AWARDS WINNERS OF ESSAY CONTEST ON WOMEN’S ROLE IN ARMENIA

ArmRadio.am
13.04.2007 10:30

Winners of an OSCE-organized essay contest on the role of women
in Armenian society, including 24 regional and 3 national winners,
received their awards in Yerevan.

The contest, organized for the fourth year in a row by the OSCE
Office in Yerevan, the Centre for Development of Civil Society and
the US Peace Corps, aims to promote gender issues and contribute to
building critical thinking skills among young Armenians.

"Full and true equality between women and men is essential in order
to achieve security, prosperity, and sustainable democracy," said
Sven Holdar, Democratization Officer at the OSCE Office.

"I was happy to read essays where students shared there vision of
the role of Armenian woman at home, in the community and in the
country, and suggested changes they would like to see at local and
state levels."

The competition began on 8 March, International Women’s Day, and
concluded on 7 April, marked in Armenia as Motherhood and Beauty
Day. Some 500 high school students from 8 regions of Armenia took
part in the contest.

Narek Hovakimyan, a 10th grade student from a secondary school in
Norabats, Ararat province, who won the first prize at the national
level, wrote in his essay: "I would like women to have appropriate
employment, based on their skills, and to have a man next to them
who could support the family so that the woman does not lose her
female nature."

Lilit Vahanyan from Vanadzor, Lori province, got the second prize,
and Arpine Avagumyan from a school in Hrazdan, Kotayk province,
came in third.

The OSCE Office carries out a number of activities to promote gender
equality in Armenia. It will carry out a research on the political
participation of women in the May parliamentary elections to help
identify barriers that exist for female candidates and their electorate
and draw lessons on what needs to be done to further enhance women’s
participation in Armenia’s political and economic life.