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Women's Role and Position in Armenian Society Armenia, similar to the other former 
soviet states, is in the process of addressing a number of social issues, surfaced after the 
inception of the economic transition, which has been taking place in the Newly 
Independent States (the "NIS").  
 
In the Shirak district, particularly in Gyumri, those processes have regional 
peculiarities, predetermined by the fact, that the consequences of the disastrous 
earthquake, which took place in 1988, have not yet been fully addressed, and they 
continue to generate new socio-psychological problems. The empty windows of partly 
destroyed buildings in Gyumri seem to symbolize wounds in the people’s souls, as a 
consequence of difficulties, disappointments and hopelessness in their everyday life. 
Today, these problems require the implementation of serious research, analysis and 
"practical social policy". To this end, numerous efforts have been exerted by the 
government, as well as by social organizations and individuals. Foreign states and 
social institutions have also made their contributions in this process. The range of such 
activities continues to grow and attain new levels of performance.  
 
Specifically, women have become one of the most vulnerable sectors. Some social and 
psychological researches of Armenian families carried out in the past few years show 
that during the most difficult economic periods, i.e. in 1992-1993, Armenian men 
expressed a high level of uncertainty regarding their future livelihood, while the women 
portrayed an unusual level of optimism and energy.  
 
These findings, albeit with some exceptions, are also true for Gyumri, Shirak district, 
especially since today women are forced to reconcile their traditional role as a wife and 
mother, with practical demands of contribution to the financial well being of the family. 
It is indubitably a serious and difficult problem to solve particularly in such a 
comparatively small place as Gyumri, with emphasized traditions and conservatism. 
Resolution of this problem requires purposeful and persistent policy and new approach.  
 
According to the final report of the "New residential strategy for the zone of 
earthquake" /1998, pages 91,152/, 26.2% of women participating in the poll were heads 
of families and 32.5% were the main providers. The objective of this survey was to 
ascertain the opinion of women, and their changing role in the society. By reviewing the 
results, it is clear that Armenian women have emerged as a distinct group, with their 
own set of problems, and concerns, who are addressing those problems with hope, 
optimism. This situation is typical for all Armenian women. However, life in Gyumri 
during the last 10-12 years has been excruciatingly difficult, and mere survival has been 
a challenge. In this situation, the revealing results of the survey and finding out the 
ways of resolution become even more significant.  
 
It is interesting, that the great part of women criticizing the activities of the state entities 
simultaneously see the state authorities as the only entities capable of solving the 
problems. What is this attitude conditioned by? The optimism or hope for fulfillment of 
the responsibilities by authorities to the zone of earthquake?  
 
It is clear that in order to establish a democratic state based on fair legal and social 
grounds, it is imperative to involve women in the political, economic, social and 
religious spheres of Armenia, and in effect, obliterate discrimination and inequality. 
According to Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, men and women share equal 
rights and liberties. Unfortunately, in the Armenian society these rights and liberties are 
somehow overlooked. Women in the Armenian society play a vital role, and the need of 
correspondence of declared legal and existing socio-legal situation once again is proved 
by results of the survey.  
 
The final report is comprised of 8 analytic statements, including an analysis on the 
numerous aspects of women’s roles and positions in the Armenian society. Socio-
psychological groups of women have been formed and, most importantly, a range of 
practical solutions for the existing problems has been revealed.  
 
Today, in the new socio-economic conditions of unemployment and destruction of the 
former linkages and relationships, Armenian women are face profound alterations of 
their role. The features and functions typical for a traditional Armenian woman are 
being garbled. They do not afford to have as many children as before, and being 
concerned by the problems of their feeding and dressing, pay less attention to their 
proper education. In such conditions changes of the roles within families are 
inescapable. Regarding the traditional and accepted conviction, women in Armenia 
used to be engaged to household problems, but today they involuntarily have to seek 
financial means. This brings to a distortion of Armenian family’s traditional model, 
which in its turn generates negative influence from the standpoint of birthrate decrease.  
 
We’ll try to review the results of the survey revealing that the main part of the people 
surveyed have a small family, i.e. 6% of families are comprised of 1 person, 11.2%-2, 
13.4%-3, 24%-4, 25.8%-5, and 19.6% - 6 and more persons. As to the decline in the 
birthrate, it was so many times talked and written about, that any statements regarding 
that fact would be redundant.  
 
With reference to the other roles of Armenian women, it’s hard not to mention that 
among the roles of wife, mother and daughter, the role of the mother has a great 
preponderance /67.6% of the inquired women/. 77.2% of married women, 72.2% of 
divorced, 79.4% of widows, 50% of singles and 15% of unmarried are of this opinion. 
Thus, for the women in a parental status responsibilities of mother have a paramount 
importance. Responsibilities of wife and daughter are significant for 16.4% and 16% 
correspondingly. Role of wife has a central meaning for 18.3% of married and 22.2% of 
divorced women of comparatively young age /18-39/. Naturally, role of daughter is 
mostly important for the singles /72.6%/.  
 
For Armenian women family is the greatest value. Such an opinion has the 73.2% of 
women participated in the polling. They are at a great expense housewives /85.5%/ and 
unemployed women spending whole days with their families. The professional interests 
are dominant for working women /51.1%/. 24% of the inquired women proved that 
cordial relationships are the most important, for 20.1% it is to be self-respect. For 
17.4% the feeling they are not alone and for 14.4% respect of others are more 
significant.  
 
Maintaining the main function of a traditional Armenian woman, being a mother, 
women in Gyumri have recently faced some serious challenges. Because of financial 
difficulties, the number of children per family has drastically dropped. Furthermore, the 
level and quality of education for the children has also suffered, resulting in an increase 
in the number of teenage offenders and beggars.  
 
The survey has also identified and classified separate groups of women. The most 
noteworthy of them is the group of women with expressed emotions in their behavior. 
They are frustrated, sometimes aggressive, alone and isolated. The women having given 
birth to a child after the disastrous earthquake, are distinguished by a segregated 
psychological state with an inclination to the past times: wish to see her lost one in all 
characteristics of new baby. Women, suffering from the complex of a forsaken and 
being in a continuous depressive state make an individual group. This fact was proved 
by the social polling, which revealed that 38% of the inquired women in Gyumri has 
undergone changes in their microclimate, 16% have indefinite expectations from the 
forthcoming future and 42.8% suffer from a pessimistic attitude to life, instinctively 
seeing resolution of their problems in a lucky chance. Hence, those women become 
untimely aged and alienated from the society. As a rule, they are unable to gain strength 
for recovery.  
 
A tangible help for women will definitely be the creation of employment for men, as the 
providers of the household. In the current situation, when Armenia is undergoing a 
difficult economic period, realizing such plans will be extremely difficult. An 
alternative solution would be to allow women to contribute to the family budget, by 
providing assistance in the implementation of low-budget income-generating projects. 
For centuries women in Armenia have been introducing to the World their skills in 
needlework. This is a viable alternative, since needlework does not require investment 
of fixed assets (workplace, expensive equipment and etc.) and can be a source of 
income.  
 
Enhancement of women’s role in the transforming society, as well as overcoming the 
complexes typical for post-totalitarian period (economic, social and psychological) has 
a direct linkage with women’s creative and viable origin. Sociological surveys show 
that women in Armenia, particularly in Gyumri, though facing numerous difficulties of 
socio-psychological character, have found strength to be optimistic about the future. But 
parallel to this they need sympathy, assistance and direction. It is noteworthy, that a 
great part of women, participated in the poll, expressed willingness to learn a new skill. 
They need to have practical involvement in the social and economic spheres, as well as 
gain equal footing in the society.  
 
There are also few issues worth of our attention and relating the sexual maturation, 
proper and timely enlightenment of the young generation.  
 
All the issues pointed out in this project require not big, but tangible state, public and 
foreign investment and support. Perhaps the unsolved problems are one of the main 
reasons of emigration dominating in today’s Armenia and having devastating results. 
The fact that 42.8% feel a lack of confidence about the future already causes an anxiety.  
 
The situation is complicated, but not discouraging and there is a possibility to smooth 
the social tension. In the reports of the experts carried out researches, as well as in the 
speeches of the round tables’ participants were notable remarks and suggestions, 
accomplishment of which will rather smooth the social tension.  
 
They are as follows:  
 
• Initiate TV programs able to boost up women’s social activity and enlighten 
their main concerns.  
• Publish and spread different consultative handbooks.  
• Open consultative and supportive centers.  
• Create a service “telephone of confidence”, considering women’s traditional 
approaches and present depressive circumstances.  
• Taking into account women’s readiness to be engaged in the process of project 
implementation and discussion of the final report, open amateur and discussion 
clubs that will be conducive for involvement into public organizations’ 
activities.  
• Contribute to the process of attaining modern professions, taking into account 
suggestions and preferences of the inquired women (computer skills, foreign 
languages, accountancy and etc.).  
• Organize repair of cottages of single women, widows, families having few 
children and lack of means and other social groups living in destroyed cottages. 
Organize a preparatory work to the winter season: “warm winter” project.  
• Leave behind humanitarian programs and commence development programs.  
• Prepare a complex project concentrated on resolution of the women’s problems 
and assist the implementation of the project on a local level (health, education 
and other spheres).  
• Pay a primary attention to women’s mental and psychological rehabilitation.  
• Elaborate programs guaranteeing safe pregnancy and providing with 
corresponding knowledge.  
• Work out projects focused on qualitative improvement of unemployed workers 
possessing definite professions.  
• Create a new market for gifted women in Armenia, organize exhibition and sale 
of their works, thus giving them an opportunity of working at home.  
• Create an initiative and supportive group supervising the activities of the 
corresponding entities somehow involved in the course of actions.  
• Survey schoolchildren’s opinions and interests and supply with appropriate 
knowledge assisting their sexual maturation.  
• Enhancement of women’s role will be invaluable in the current socio-economic 
situation, in the process of democracy building, if we are able to give birth to 
functional and useful projects regenerating their feminine origin. It is undeniable 
that women with characteristic prudence, feminine charm, natural sense of 
beauty, genetic ability to give birth may become encouraging and supporting 
strength, social and economic support for men. 
 
 
 
 
Results of the Polling Carried Out in Shirak District in the Framework of the 
Project "Women's Role and Position in the Armenian Society" 
 
 
Table 1 – Status in Family by age (Question 6) 
18-28 29-39 40-50 51-61 over 61
20 25 16 11 10 82
18.50% 23.40% 14.30% 12.10% 12.20% 16.40%
39 76 87 72 64 338
36.10% 71% 77% 79.10% 78% 67.60%
49 6 9 8 8 80
45.40% 5.60% 8% 8.80% 9.80% 16%
108 107 112 91 82 500
100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
2. Mother
3. Daughter
Total
Age Total 
Quantity
1. Wife
 
 
 
 
Table 2 – Interests by age (Question 8) 
 
18-28 29-39 40-50 51-61 over 61
40 20 18 15 11 104
37% 18.70% 16.10% 16.50% 13.40% 20.80%
56 83 85 73 68 365
51.80% 77.60% 75.80% 80.20% 82.90% 73%
7 3 4 3 3 20
6.50% 2.80% 3.60% 3.30% 3.70% 4%
2 0 1 0 0 3
1.90% 0.90% 0.60%
1 1 1 0 0 3
0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.60%
2 0 3 0 0 5
1.90% 2.70% 1%
108 107 112 91 82 500
100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Age Total 
Quantity
1.     professional interests
2.     family
3.     culture
4.     sexual life
5.     hobby
6.     other
TOTAL
 
 
 
Table 3 –Preferred TV programs by age (Question 9) /by percent/ 
 
18-28 29-39 40-50 51-61 over 61
14.1 27.3 31 39 42.4
6.1 5.6 8.4 9.4 11.6
14.5 13.9 8 12.1 9.1
18.4 21.3 23.4 24.7 29.1
30.7 13 12.4 7.2 1.2
3.5 5 4 2.2 1.8
4.4 4.6 4.4 4.4 2.4
7 7.9 6.2 0.5 0.6
0.4 0 1.3 0 1.8
0.9 1.4 0.9 0.5 0
TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Age
1.     news
3.     movies
5.     music programs
7.     entertainment programs
9.     other
 
 
Table 4 – Time devoted to the program, by age (Question 12 
 
91 82 500
100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
TOTAL
108 107 112
19 11 117
11.10% 39.20% 29.50% 20.90% 13.40% 23.40%
7.     indefinite
12 42 33
3 0 21
13.90% 1.90% 0.90% 3.30% 4.20%
6.     over an hour
15 2 1
5 2 57
25.90% 11.20% 8.90% 5.50% 2.50% 11.40%
5.     31-60 minutes
28 12 10
9 6 86
25.90% 17.80% 21.40% 9.90% 7.30% 17.20%
4.     16-30 minutes
28 19 24
8 5 43
9.30% 10.20% 8.10% 8.80% 6.10% 8.60%
3.     11-15 minutes
10 11 9
29 32 115
10.20% 17.80% 21.40% 31.80% 39% 23%
2.     1-10 minutes
11 19 24
18 26 61
3.70% 1.90% 9.80% 19.80% 31.70% 12.20%
Age Total
18-28 29-39 40-50 51-61 over 61 Quantity
1.     0
4 2 11
 
 
 
Table 5 – Answers to the question “Do you attend a cosmetologist?”, by ages 
(Question 13) 
 
 
Total
18-28 29-39 40-50 51-61 over 61 Quantity
25 17 12 6 0 60
23.10% 15.90% 10.70% 6.60% 12%
83 90 100 85 82 440
76.90% 84.10% 89.30% 93.40% 100% 88%
108 107 112 91 82 500
100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Age
TOTAL
2.     no
1.     yes
 
 
Table 6 – The frequency of attending a cosmetologist (Question 14) 
 
18-28 29-39 40-50 51-61 over 61
1 1 0 1 0 3
0.90% 0.90% 1.10% 0.60%
9 8 1 3 0 21
8.30% 7.50% 0.90% 3.30% 4.20%
15 8 11 2 0 36
13.90% 7.50% 9.80% 2.20% 7.20%
83 90 100 85 82 440
76.90% 84.10% 89.30% 93.40% 100% 88%
108 107 112 91 82 500
100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
3.     rarely
4.     not attending
TOTAL
Age Total 
Quantity
1.     always
2.     often
 
 
Table 7- Reasons of not attending a cosmetologist, by age (Question 1) 
 
18-28 29-39 40-50 51-61 over 61
5 10 12 15 4 46
4.60% 9.40% 10.70% 16.50% 4.90% 9.20%
24 44 40 16 25 149
22.20% 41.10% 35.70% 17.60% 30.50% 29.80%
45 17 36 31 12 141
41.70% 15.90% 32.10% 34% 14.70% 28.20%
2 1 1 12 32 48
1.90% 0.90% 0.90% 13.20% 39% 9.60%
1 3 4 8 2 18
0.90% 2.80% 3.60% 8.80% 2.40% 3.60%
0 1 2 1 2 6
0.90% 1.80% 1.10% 2.40% 1.20%
3 7 5 2 0 17
2.80% 6.60% 4.50% 2.20% 3.40%
3 1 0 0 0 4
2.80% 0.90% 0.80%
0 1 0 0 3 4
0.90% 3.70% 0.80%
0 5 0 0 2 7
4.70% 2.40% 1.40%
25 17 12 6 0 60
23.10% 15.90% 10.70% 6.60% 12%
108 107 112 91 82 500
100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Age Total 
Quantity
1.     time
2.     finance
3.     need
4.     age
5.     desire
8.     professional
9.     cannot answer
10.  other
11.  attending
TOTAL
6.     confidence
7.     time and finance
 
 
 
Table 8 – Answers to the question “Do you attend a hairdresser, expert 
beautician”, by age (Question 16) 
 
Total
18-28 29-39 40-50 51-61 over 61 Quantity
80 65 58 38 12 253
74.10% 60.70% 51.80% 41.80% 14.60% 50.60%
28 42 54 53 70 247
25.90% 39.30% 48.20% 58.20% 85.40% 49.40%
108 107 112 91 82 500
100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Age
1.     yes
2.     no
TOTAL
 
 
 
Table 9 – Frequency of attending a hairdresser and expert beautician, by age 
(Question 17) 
 
Total
18-28 29-39 40-50 51-61 over 61 Quantity
10 12 8 5 1 36
9.30% 11.20% 7.10% 5.50% 1.20% 7.20%
41 28 22 18 3 112
37.90% 26.20% 19.70% 19.80% 3.70% 22.40%
29 25 28 15 8 105
26.90% 23.30% 25% 16.50% 9.70% 21%
28 42 54 53 70 247
25.90% 39.30% 48.20% 58.20% 85.40% 49.40%
108 107 112 91 82 500
100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Age
4.     not attending
TOTAL
3.     rarely
2.     often
1.     always
 
 
 
Table 10 – Reasons of not attending a hairdresser and expert beautician, by age 
(Question 18) 
 
Total
18-28 29-39 40-50 51-61 over 61 Quantity
1 1 3 2 7 14
0.90% 0.90% 2.70% 2.20% 8.50% 2.80%
16 30 36 20 14 116
14.80% 28% 32.10% 21.90% 17.10% 23.20%
6 3 7 6 17 39
5.50% 2.80% 6.30% 6.60% 20.70% 7.80%
0 0 0 9 24 33
9.90% 29.30% 6.60%
1 2 2 3 5 13
0.90% 1.90% 1.80% 3.30% 6.10% 2.60%
0 2 0 1 0 3
1.90% 1.10% 0.60%
2 4 6 11 3 26
1.90% % 5.30% 12.10% 3.70% 5.20%
2 0 0 1 0 3
1.90% 1.10% 0.60%
0 0 0 0 0 0
80 65 58 38 12 253
74.10% 60.70% 51.80% 41.80% 14.60% 50.60%
108 107 112 91 82 500
100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Age
4.     age
5.     desire
6.     time and finance
7.     self-service
8.     cannot answer
9.     other
10.  attending
TOTAL
3.     need
2.     finance
1.     time
 
 


Women's role and position in Armenian society

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