Gender equality bill was discussed at Armenian parliament.

"Women are long-haired, but short-witted" - this Armenian saying is a basis for Armenian Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Karen Andreasyan's opinion that the country is faced with a gender inequality problem.

He voiced his opinion at a discussion of the bill on equal rights and opportunities for men and women at the Armenian parliament. 
Participating in the discussions were Armenian MPs, government officials, NGO representatives and representatives of a number of international organizations.

Armenian Parliament Speaker Samvel Nikoyan disagreed with the Ombudsman. According to him, another reason for adopting the bill is that women constitute a majority of Armenia's population.

Aram Safaryan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs, Parliament of Armenia, noted that the bill was most carefully drafted and submitted to Parliament two months ago. They appreciated the document. He was sure that, if adopted, the bill would greatly contribute to gender equality in Armenia.

Naira Zohrabyan, Chairwoman of the Standing Committee on European Integration, promised that all the practical proposals would be incorporated in the bill.

Ombudsman Andreasyan sees a number of "technical omissions" in the bill. "The bill does not contain clear definitions," he said. 
Head of the EU delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Traian Hristea stressed the importance of the EU Advisory Group's assistance. He presented a gender equality program approved for EU member-states. According to him, the task of gender equality is incorporated in the Millennium Challenge program – it can be accomplished if the problem is viewed in the social context. Property reduction must be a priority, he said.

UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative Dafina Gercheva pointed out the necessity for adopting the bill. On the other hand, adopting the bill does not mean resolving the problem. Ms. Gercheva is strongly for practical application of the law. She noted that, for example, women's wages are much lower in Armenia – 42% of men's wages.

The bill caused varied responses at the discussions. The participants pointed out a number of omissions.

"The bill has been widely discussed and criticized. We must push the bill through and create a document that will resolve the problems we are concerned over," said Heghine Bisharyan.