A new defense minister we don't know about?
I was just reading the news on Groong and came across this article ...
Ara Tadevosian: Armenia edges closer to NATO
Providence Journal , RI
June 28 2005
YEREVAN, Armenia - ARMENIA'S defense minister, Sarah Sarkisian,
and the secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organiztion,
Jalap de Hoop Schaffer, have come to an agreement that many see as
proof of a strategic shift by Armenia toward the West.......
Since when was our defense minister a female? Am I missing out on something? Has Serge been replaced by a sister or a female relative?
Ara Tadevosian: Armenia edges closer to NATO
Providence Journal , RI
June 28 2005
YEREVAN, Armenia - ARMENIA'S defense minister, Sarah Sarkisian,
and the secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organiztion,
Jalap de Hoop Schaffer, have come to an agreement that many see as
proof of a strategic shift by Armenia toward the West.......
Since when was our defense minister a female? Am I missing out on something? Has Serge been replaced by a sister or a female relative?
posted by Der Hova at 12:11 AM
26 Comments:
Would it be possible for Serge Sarkissian to have a sister or relative named Sarah? Is that a common name in Armenia?
Hmmmm, no. I personally know of 2 Sarahs, and they both live in Canada.
What's sad about this article is that an Armenian wrote it.
Appalling editing, probably slipped the sightless eyes of a recent-grad editor with a women’s power-trip agenda.
What kind of comment is that? "Women's power-trip agenda" So if the incorrectly printed name was Vahan Sarkisian it would just be "appalling editing" that "probably slipped the sightless eyes of a recent-grad editor".
It's sad that in the year 2005 there are still ignorant idiots like you out there that feel a female is not capable of being a defense minister.
A female defense minister? I think not. At least not in Armenia. I could see it now. Pink army uniform.
Is someone typing these comments for you, since you have proven yourself to be a caveman?
babam, ignore... breath in.... breath out... ignore... :-)
This brings out an interesting topic for the disappearing cilicia boards; can Armenian women be competent and bipartisan when it comes to positions of real power such as news editing or head of state for an important government ministry? I personally feel that they often lack the real guts and have a concealed social political agenda, such as their battle for equality. There are a few educated Armenian women who want to be bringing real social change to Armenian, just like Elizabeth Caddy Stanton did in turn of 19th century (USA). Anyhow, Armenian women’s equality is fine on the surface but it should not patch the quilt of the entire Armenian fabric. Thank god this republic of Armenia is one of the few nations where men still control real power (social, economic, etc). You may identify that as being shovanistic and unfair but hey I didn’t start the fire, it was always burning since the world was turning.
defence ministr...female???? possible..but it not mean that she will write the rules...she will be just a nice barbie..but not a leader...in Armenia
And Kocharian will be Ken, right?
Kocharian is Robert De Niro... have you noticed the resemblance? It's pretty funny.
Yes, if women ruled the world, everything would collapse around us. Thank goodness they are not in charge in Armenia, which is why it is such a freakin utopia!
All women are incompetent.
All men are born to lead.
All Hrants are eshegs.
Gotta love them stereotypes!
Interesting, those male egos such as yourselves have found nothing to lead or rule yet, so you resort to making some fairly inane comments about women as leaders on a non-descript message board.....keep going and maybe you 'your little selves will' rule the world one day.....in your dreams!!!!!!!!
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It's interesting. In my interview with Lise Grande, Residential Representative of the United Nations and UNDP in Armenia (or at least until she finished her tenure last month), she said that highly qualified women who could do a lot for this country were prevented from taking senior positions not because they were useless but because of the fact that Armenia -- like Azerbaijan and to a lesser extent (but still so), Georgia -- is a patriarchal society.
In fact, according to Grande -- admittedly a woman herself! -- the problem was that in most cases, these women are more qualified and competent than the guys in the positions they're prevented from taking. So, it appears that if the government is not willing to employ highly qualified women in Armenia, they're instead finding a home in international organizations instead.
Anyway, the bit about patriarchal societies is somewhere in the interview here. I have to be honest and say some of the most impressive people I've met doing something in the NGO sector in Armenia are women. Maybe it's best that they don't get themselves dirty in government structures.
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“fairly inane comments about women as leaders on a non-descript message board” type what you impulsively think but that is the reality on the ground in our current Armenia. It’s a breath of fresh air. Shall I remind you all again that Armenia is a country with an extensive patriarchal tradition dating back to well over millennia. It is the pillars of our culture and society. In such an overwhelming patriarchal society a muting factor settles in on educated Armenian women, who are obviously well overqualified (on paper), preventing them from ever attaining positions of real power. It’s a genuine shame, but that is the reality of this Republic. It is all around our culture and one cannot flee its invisible influence unless deviating from it. What we have in the Diaspora today is a deviated version of the Armenian culture, assimilation is knocking. Unfortunately Onnik, your broadminded ways and western media methods have no real habitat in Armenia because, frankly speaking, public relations does not matter in the Southern Caucuses. Your photos will not change the indistinguishable power-players of Yerevan, Moscow, Baku, Ankara or Washington. In my opinion, it might sob a few bar hopping Diaspora viewers in Glendale, New York or Boston but that’s about it. I’m not trying to discredit your work in Armenia Onnik. Lets all recognize that men of real power do as they please, they make peace or war based on survivability and conveniences and not by the evening news bites or what gets printed on the front pages of a few rags.
Hrant, even is something can't change it definitely won't with a defeatist attitude and never even trying. On the other hand, I firmly believe that things will change. Maybe mentalities will take a lot longer but as Armenia has joined the Council of Europe and other international bodies, in the legal sphere the situation will have to change.
As an example, wee've just seen the CE successfully challenge the Armenian government's refusal to include 3 key items in the constitutional ammendments scheduled for November. Even more surprising for many of us, environmentalists in Armenia and the Diaspora just scored a great victory by preventing plans to build a road through the Shikahogh Nature Reserve.
In the case of the latter example, I think that environmentalists surprised everyone but they succeeded but they certainly wouldn't hadn't they tried and believed the "men of real power do as they please."
In the next few years, I'm sure we'll see more examples of this as the autocratic and authortiarian style of government changes because of international obligations and a small but growing change in mentalities among coming generations. However, you're right about my work in Armenia. Then again, I've always understood that the future of Armenia can only be defined by those living here.
It's not going to be an easy process but it will happen. I'm sure that sooner or later the CE will demand that any legislation that exists promoting euqal opportunities functions, for example. In schools, girls are already higher achievers than boys (as I think it is elsewhere).
Whatever, it should be the best person for the job regardless of gender. I don't believe in "positive discrimination" but I certainly don't agree with patriarchal societies that frustrate their own development with outdated attitudes. I don't think any of us want Armenia to be stuck in the dark ages, do we?
I know she is quite butch with her aggressive attitude, but Hranush Hakobyan seems to be doing more for the betterment and preservation of Armenian culture than the majority of our other useless MPs.
This society has a long way to go before equality steps in. A country where so many married men have girlfriends to wine, dine and vacation with, while their wives are fully aware of all this ........... yup, definitely a LONG way to go.
If I'm not mistaken, 30% of Iraq's parliament are female, Armenia's parliament ... 5%. Iraq has 6 female ministers, we have none. It's kind of pathetic.
You've got a Nice blog, see you at internet.
Regards from Spain.;-)
Here I go again not taking my advice to ignore...
So Hrant, when you say "Armenia is a country with an extensive patriarchal tradition dating back to well over millennia", you imply that this means automatically it is good and right. How long ago do you think the millenia of patriarchal tradition changed in France, England, the USA? Did you know women had the right to vote during Armenia's first republic in 1918? Did you know there were more women in the parliament then than now??? What does this all mean? It means times will change here too - and quickly... the next generation will not be recognizable. Get used to that. This time I suspect it will be irreversible.
I’m shocked and thwarted for your stance on this issue Raffi. I have no rebuttal at this time. Have a happy July 4 in Yerevan.
Thanks, have a good one yourself... (but how could YOU be shocked at ME??!?! How could anyone actually believe men can lead better than women as a blanket statement???)
I know this is probably sexist and in a sense going against all we've said above but I do have to admit that I find this funny:
The Babe Theory of Political Movements
http://www.willisms.com/archives/2005/03/more_on_the_bab_1.html
raffi jan, may i tell u the reason why women were allowed to vote and why more women were in the parliament then, because the country was controlled by the turley democratic ARF, hey by the way, hilda choboian is the president of the hay daht committee of europe, the EAFJD in brussels.
Onnik, funny, sad yet true most men are pigs and they won't change until they sence there is a beutiful women awaiting them after their struggle.
I think the Babe Theory has merit.
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