Republican Party of Armenia

 On September 7, the Women’s Council of the Republican Party of Armenia held its next seminar in Tsakhkadzor. I asked the Chairman of the RPA Women’s Council Mrs. Hermineh Naghdalyan to represent the aim and tasks of the seminar.
-What is the goal of the seminar organized by the RPA Women’s Council?
-It is the next working seminar of the RPA Women’s Council. The Chairmen of the Women’s Councils of the RPA territorial organizations, representatives of the Ideological and Propaganda, Organizational Committees, as well as Committee on Education participate in it. The seminar has a special goal- to discuss issues that are important for the future activities of the RPA Women’s Councils.
-Which are those issues?
- Especially ideological and educational issues, since the major task of each party is the propaganda of its ideas and strengthening of the party through organizational works. There are other Committees included in the Women’s Council: Committee on Education, Social Affairs, and Education. It means all vital spheres that are closer to women, where women have more opportunities for self-expression. Only professionals and interested people are included in these committees, who study the situation and raise the questions that need to be solved.
- Are these seminars annual?
- No we meet twice or thrice a year and, as a rule, we discuss what have been done, the problems that haven’t been solved yet, and our programs. The RPA member women raise the questions suggested by life. As a rule, high-level officials of our country participate in our meetings. The RA and RPA President Mr. Serzh Sargsyan often takes part in our meetings. He patiently answers the questions; discusses all the questions that are important for our party members, including political, economic, geo-political problems. The President of the RA National Assembly, the RA Prime Minister and Ministers participate in our meetings too. The Mayor of Yerevan Mr. Taron Markaryan was the guest of our previous meeting.
- What is the core subject of the seminar?
-Half the year has already gone and we are going to exchange information on the activities of the Women’s Councils. It is not only a report, but also an exchange of experience, opportunity of consultation. The effective methods used by any territorial organization can be useful for the other. In our cooperation we use horizontal and vertical vectors-various ways through which party development problems are solved. Our party is the largest in our country and women constitute 50%. Women are quite active; they participate in the formulation of initial organizations, as well as they are active in their political positions. The core subject of the seminar is the role of women in preservation of national identity and the value system of the Armenian people. I think it is an actual subject, because values are changing in the globalized world. In this context we attach great importance to the devotion of Armenian identity to its roots, traditions and women play a critical role, since they are both mother, sister and teacher. I consider it to be an important issue the increase of women’s representation in the local self-government bodies. It is a very important platform in communities, since the local self-government bodies are the part of the authorities that deals with people every day. Our state’s policy is that this platform becomes more humane and delicate. Today the Women’s Councils face that problem – to prepare for the local self-government bodies elections in advance. Next year we are going to hold 106 local elections and our councils are preparing for them in order to find individuals among our party members who, with their experience and knowledge, will correspond to working in that platform.