A Different Kind of Roadshow – What It Takes to Be a Woman in Armenian Politics 

By Ola Rymaszewska, Project and Digital Transformation Officer at ELF

The European Liberal Forum’s Enlargement Now Roadshow has arrived in Armenia, with a dedicated training focused on empowering women in politics. Visiting Yerevan for the first time, as a young Polish woman, many of the challenges participants described felt familiar. My instinct was to reassure them that change is possible, having seen my own country evolve from a traditional society toward a more modern one. But I quickly realised that before offering solutions, we first needed to understand the realities Armenian women navigate every day.  

Feeling Stuck: The Barriers Facing Armenian Women 

Armenian society has endured through continued instability. As a result, during our conversations a recurring theme kept coming up: Armenia is still struggling to fully include women in political life. Whenever we tried to challenge the status quo, our female participants brought us back to their realities – women speak against other women, female activists who try to enter the political world are called names and face insinuations, men threaten women on daily basis. One participant described political debate as brutal and humiliating, a space that simply does not feel designed for women. 

The story of Shushan Petrosyan became a touchstone for our conversation: a beloved Estrada singer who got elected as a Member of National Parliament and consequently became a lightning rod for body-shaming, ageism, and sexist insults. 

Participants also identified structural barriers: the stereotypical role divisions, including very traditional education of young boys and girls and policy gaps which reinforce the cultural challenges. One striking example is the imbalance between nearly five months of paid maternity leave and only five days of paid paternity leave.  

And yet, despite the obstacles named above, what I saw during our meeting was a group of motivated and hopeful women who showed up to expand their skills and explore the possibility of entering politics.

Building Skills, Building Alliances  

During the training we focused on sharing best practices and strengthening the political skills of Armenian women. Discussions explored good and bad leadership, giving feedback, managing teams and time effectively, and avoiding burnout by setting clear boundaries. A deeply rooted struggle with authority, and the pressure to be “nice” in order to be respected was mentioned, which once again reminded me of my Eastern European roots. 

Changing this mindset will take time and true leadership  and also requires genuine equality. This is why the at the European Liberal Forum we actively include men in the conversation. Guest speaker Edmon Marukyan, Party Leader of Bright Armenia highlighted that progress toward gender equality is impossible if only half of society is involved and spoke about what men can do to encourage women to join politics.  

Regardless of the willingness of allies, the reality on the ground remains stark: those who enter politics face a dramatic escalation of the hostility Armenian women already encounter daily. A Council of Europe study found that 100% of women active in public life in Armenia had experienced one or more types of cyber-attack because of their gender, and 68% had thought about leaving public life as a result – which is why our workshop focused on prevention, solutions and support, not just statistics. 

Part of that solution is ensuring women have enough resilience to survive and thrive. Alliance of Her and ELECTA trainer Katrien van den Broeck, the author of our ‘bestselling’ book ‘Confronting the 10 Traps of Power – A Survival Guide for Women (and Men) in Politics’ walked participants through the ten traps that most commonly derail women in political life. She then asked a simple question: how many of them were already falling into one of the traps? To our genuine surprise and delight, almost none of the women identified themselves in the traps. They were already, instinctively, doing things right: proof that the barriers they face are external, not internal. 

Ready for What Comes Next 

I came to Yerevan prepared to inspire. I left having been inspired myself. Out of all our debates and discussions, despite the many challenges and fewer opportunities, all the women we spoke to are extremely determined to build organisations that are modern, professional, and democratic. I have been humbled by their eagerness to ensure that Armenia takes the next step into the future with women participating equally in the shaping of society. Not just as mothers, daughters, and housewives, but as politicians, entrepreneurs, and directors.