Earlier this month I had the honour of addressing some 150 young Armenian women at the Future Women Leaders event organised by the Leadership School of Armenia, one of a series of activities around International Women’s Day. This was a great opportunity to share views – and concerns – about the role and rights of women in the 21st century and to meet some really impressive young women, eager to play a leading role in Armenia’s future as a prosperous, stable democracy.
I attended this event not just because I’m a woman, but because the promotion and protection of women’s rights – and in particular, tackling violence against women and girls – is a priority for the EU and for the UK.
So why does gender equality matter?
It promotes security. Evidence shows that countries that have large gaps in treatment of women and men are more likely to experience intra- and inter-state conflict, while countries where men and women are treated more equally tend to be stable and peaceful. Conflict resolution and peace processes in which women meaningfully participate are more likely to succeed. UN Women has reported that peace agreements that results from negotiations involving women are 35% more likely to last for 15 years. Ensuring that women’s rights are safeguarded, that they are able to take part in political processes, and that they are able to participate fully in conflict resolution are consequently priorities for the UK. In Armenia the British Embassy has funded a project to increase awareness of UNSCR 1325 and Women, Peace and Security /WPS/ platform and to build Armenia’s capacity to play its part.
Gender equality makes economic sense. According to the OECD, greater gender equality in economic opportunities contributes to stronger and more sustainable economic growth. Investing in formal education and training increases the human capital of a country and increases employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for both men and women. It increases labour productivity, which provides businesses with greater opportunities to expand, innovate and compete. This in turn generates additional tax revenue and social security contributions to Government. According to UN Women, women’s economic equality is good for business. Companies greatly benefit from increasing leadership opportunities for women, which is shown to increase organizational effectiveness. This is why the EU has been actively supporting female entrepreneurs to contribute to the growth of the Armenian economy.
Gender equality is also good for democracy. Parliaments and governments which are truly representative of the diversity in society make policies better suited to the needs of the whole of society. Whilst women constitute over 52% of the Armenian population and the current electoral law includes a quota of 20%, fewer than 10% of parliamentarians are women – one of the lowest levels of representation for women in the world. The upcoming cycle of elections in Armenia provides an opportunity to redress this imbalance in gender representation for the benefit of all Armenians.
Equality, as well as being beneficial, is a fundamental human right. Globally, discrimination and violence against women and girls remains one of the most widespread human rights abuses. Sadly, Armenia is no exception. That is why we and our EU partners are encouraging the Armenian authorities to adopt a comprehensive anti-discrimination law and a specific law on domestic violence in Armenia.
Legislation alone won’t deliver gender equality. It also requires a change in perception. Women and girls deserve to be valued the same as – and have the same opportunities as – men and boys. Educators, employers and legislators can all play a role. So can the family. That is why the EU is supporting an initiative to combat the very worrying phenomenon of sex-selective abortion in Armenia – which ranks second in the world for this practice.
The new EU Gender Action Plan 2016-2020 obliges EU Member States to implement gender mainstreaming both internally and externally towards partner governments. If Armenia is to flourish as its friends in the EU want it to, achieving greater gender equality by realising the potential of 52% of the population seems like a no-brainer. That is why we remain committed to helping this happen.
Ms Judith Farnworth
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
to the Republic of Armenia
