March 8 in Armenia: Festivities and realities
Every year on March 8, we celebrate International Women’s Day in Armenia. Here, the holiday is celebrated by giving gifts to women, honoring them as wives, mothers, sisters and daughters, and appreciating their femininity. All this continues for a month, because April 7 is a local holiday dedicated to women. On March 8, which is a non-working day, everything is done to make women happy – holiday discounts in stores, flowers while walking in the park, cards and other gifts are meant to lift their spirits.
The holiday is celebrated, but the original idea and philosophy behind the day remain in the background. We hear this sentence repeated in Armenia with different beginnings, but the same ending: “…is not a woman’s job; a woman’s place is the kitchen.” The sentence can start with driving a car, working in politics or business, and so on.
How do women work, create, overcome various obstacles, fight for their rights and break stereotypes in Armenia? Besides being beautiful and feminine, they are also people who have ideas and skills that can contribute to a healthier and more progressive society. These challenges also have varying degrees of difficulty in rural and urban areas.
A global day for women’s rights and equality
March 8 is a day to respect and pay tribute to the achievements of women in social, economic, cultural, political, educational and other fields. It started when, at the call of women in the Social Democratic Party, a demonstration for equality was held in New York on March 8, 1908. That day, more than 15,000 women marched across the city, demanding a shorter working day and equal pay with men. The right of women to participate in elections was also among the demands.
On February 28, 1909, the Socialist Party of America organized a “Women’s Day” in New York, after which German revolutionary Clara Zetkin proposed to the International Conference of Socialist Women in 1910 that March 8 be celebrated as a day of remembrance for working women. Since then, March 8 has been considered International Women’s Day. In 1917, women got the right to vote in the Soviet Union, after which it became a national holiday in the USSR. In 1967, March 8 was recognized by the international feminist movement. In 1975, the United Nations started celebrating the holiday. After the collapse of the USSR, International Women’s Day was restored in Armenia in 2001.
March 8 is a day to talk and raise awareness about gender equality and women’s rights around the world. Its main idea is to recognize and celebrate the contribution of women in society and to protect gender equality in all spheres of life. It is a day to highlight the progress that has been made in advancing women’s rights, while acknowledging the work that still needs to be done to achieve full equality.
Today, International Women’s Day is celebrated in different ways in different countries. In some countries it is a national holiday; in some it is completely ignored; in some it is a day of protest and struggle; in some it is a day to glorify femininity. However, this day is not associated with any country, group or organization. Instead, people of all backgrounds can come together to celebrate the achievements of women, raise awareness of gender inequality and promote positive change.
According to a report by the “Luys” Foundation, the gender inequality index in Armenia in 2022 was 0.721, and our country placed 61st in a ranking table including 146 countries. Armenia improved its position in the world by two sub-indices, economic participation and opportunities and political participation.
Contrasting realities: Women’s experiences in rural and urban Armenia
The experiences of women in Armenian society vary greatly depending on their geographic location. From quiet villages to bustling city streets, women live and work in distinct realities shaped by their environments.
Zhanna Sargsyan is a woman living and creating in the village. She is the director of the school in Ddmashen village and a member of the council of elders of the Sevan municipality. Sargsyan is also engaged in social activities aimed at empowering women and girls.
After getting married at the age of 21, Sargsyan moved from the town of Sevan to her husband’s house in Ddmashen and immediately started working at the local school as an Armenian history teacher, even though she was a lawyer by profession. In 2001, when social science entered public schools as a subject, Sargsyan began working as a social science teacher. She taught children their rights and responsibilities, including the rights of women. She did not feel like she was doing anything specifically for women; rather, the students took home what they learned, and over time, stereotypes were broken, and people’s ideas about social issues changed. “Today’s student is tomorrow’s mother. That’s how the mindset changes,” she told the Weekly.
This is how Sargsyan began her activities in the political field. In 2015, the U.N. office in Armenia was looking for women active in the villages. Several names were presented, one of which was Sargsyan’s. She participated in a course organized for several women, but when she learned that its end goal was to become a member of the village council, she laughed. “But during the course, when we understood what our participation was for, I thought that it doesn’t matter if you are a woman or a man. If you have knowledge, you can contribute to the development of your community in some way,” she said.
On December 5, 2015, Sargsyan collected the most votes in the election for the village council. She hesitated, considering her decision to be a mistake. She thought that she would be discredited, and it would be difficult to work with so many men. “I was afraid to enter an environment where I had to work with eight men, as well as the village head and other employees, who are all men,” she said.
But contrary to her fears, the village council accepted her, supported her thoughts and ideas, and helped them to come true and improve the lives of the villagers. In 2021, Sargsyan was elected as a member of the Council of Elders of the larger Sevan community. This time she did not have the same fears. Sargsyan also participated in a conference, during which a project was developed and sent to the government regarding the mandatory condition that every fourth candidate in electoral rolls should be a woman.
Sargsyan leads a non-governmental organization uniting active youth and women, formed as a result of many years of work, called “Women and Youth Support Center.” For five years, women and their children have joined puppet making and tapestry groups. Today, girls in the village earn money by making puppets. The children at the school, mainly girls, are also engaged in the cultivation of herbs and the production of eco-bags, through which they develop the ability to work and create something. The NGO’s Facebook page has also greatly served changes in the village. Today, the village’s seventh century church, which was not functioning for years, is functioning, largely because of the Facebook group, which prepared materials and raised awareness of the issue.
Sargsyan notices changes in the general picture of the lives of women in the village. “Today, women in the village have become active, self-confident women who enter school and express their opinions and grievances,” she said. She believes that all women who can contribute to the prosperity of their country should do so. “The more the community is developed, the more the state is developed. It is necessary to start from the community. The role of women should be increased. If a woman has the opportunity to express her opinion, and her voice is heard, she will do a lot,” she said.
While Sargsyan’s dedication and influence resonate throughout Ddmashen, her story is just one example of the diverse experiences and contributions of Armenian women. Focusing our attention on the urban landscape, we meet another remarkable woman.
Born and raised in Yerevan, Anna Avetisyan is a clothing designer by profession. She is also a business woman who runs her own fashion house and has won a number of awards. Since childhood, Avetisyan dreamed of creating clothes, influenced by her mother, who is a seamstress. “When my mother sewed clothes for customers, I stood next to her and watched her work, and I also sewed clothes for my dolls,” she told the Weekly. She always wore clothes made by her mother, which made her different from everyone else. Her family supported and encouraged her to continue dreaming. She entered the Mesrop Mashtots University of Yerevan in 2004, majoring in clothing modeling. From 2011-2013, she continued her studies at the Applied Art Department of the Armenian State Pedagogical University.
After working for a long time in different places, Avetisyan felt that she should create her own. In 2019, Avetisyan participated in AGBU’s “Women Entrepreneurs” program and created the “Shamshik” brand, claiming third place in the program. She wanted the name of the brand to be connected to her Armenian heritage. The “shamshik” is a popular Vaspurakan women’s ornament with the look of a partridge.
The basis of her work is current trends in traditional costumes. Her work is a step in this field, as she has restored the costumes and ornaments of Van-Vaspurakan and Marash, presenting them anew to the world. Her sources of inspiration include the motherland, nature and Armenian culture. “I get inspiration from going to different countries, but my main source of inspiration is the Armenian world,” she said.
In 2021, Avetisyan participated in the “Master of Armenia” project on Armenian television. Competing against other clothing designers, she reached the final stage and won the “Master of Armenia” award in clothing modeling. She was also among the award winners in the “Hero of Our Times” ceremony held two months ago, during which the Prime Minister of Armenia hands out awards to creative people paving their way in various fields.
Even today, she is still a dreamer, but she believes that nothing will be achieved by just dreaming. “After you dream, you have to make it a goal, and then, thanks to hard work and willpower, go after that goal,” she said. There have been challenges, but her family still rallies around her idea. Avetisyan wishes for all the women of the world to always love, be loved, and most importantly, to dream.
From the tranquil countryside to the vibrant urban landscape, women are shaping their destinies, challenging norms and leaving indelible marks on society. Their stories underscore the universal truths of resilience, determination and the unwavering pursuit of dreams.
Two paths, one goal
The stories of two women in different settings have similarities. Sargsyan is an example of an active woman in her environment. She has worked to change the ways of thinking and approaches of the women in her village, through unusual and bold steps. She has helped women overcome their fears and increase their involvement and empowerment. In her way, she shows that a woman’s voice and potential matter, and politics is also a woman’s job. Avetisyan is an example of a woman living in the city, whose story shows the path from a little girl’s dream to a successful woman. It proves that women have their say in fields of economic development. She proves every day with her work that big dreams and the world of business are also for women.
Both women are contributing to the emergence of new approaches to women’s roles, potential and stereotypes.They educate, support, inspire and can still do more, because they do not see this as the end of their development. They still have a lot of work to do, they say.
March 8 and Beyond: Celebrating women’s resilience and empowerment
As we reflect on the lives of Zhanna Sargsyan, a dedicated school director from a rural village, and Anna Avetisyan, a visionary fashion designer and entrepreneur in the city, we are reminded of the remarkable diversity and strength of women across Armenia. From the tranquil countryside to the vibrant urban landscape, women are shaping their destinies, challenging norms and leaving indelible marks on society. Their stories underscore the universal truths of resilience, determination and the unwavering pursuit of dreams. Women’s rights and equality deserve protection, not only on March 8, but every day of the year. Real progress is made when we recognize the value of every voice and empower women to lead and succeed in all areas of life.
Ani Ghevondyan
This is a welcome reporting on the status of women in Armenia, specifically beyond Yerevan. I wish it included women from the Syuink region too. Sevan is too close to Yerevan. Regardless of location, the focus/emphasis of this holiday in Armenia is to celebrate beauty and femininity. This creates countless insecurities in young girls and their subjective definition of beauty.
I found this incorrect description in the article: “Her work is a step in this field, as she has restored the costumes and ornaments of Van-Vaspurakan and other regions of Marash… ”
Van-Vaspurakan was not a region of Marash.
Thank you.