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Feminine Look: Lady of culture wants men to be “men” and women to be “women”
By Julia Hakobyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
For Hasmik Poghosyan the top priority in life is her family. Just like many women in Armenia she is a devoted mother and wife. She is fond of making preserves for winter, cleaning the house, cooking and spending weekends out of town with family. In other words she is a typical Armenian woman.
“I believe that politics is for men.” |
She is, though unique.
Poghosyan, 46, is the only female minister (out of 16) in the Armenian Government. Last May she was appointed Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs, the eighth minister and second woman to hold that post in 15 years of its unsteady post-independence history.
“I am minister when I am at work, but at home I am wife for my husband and mother for my children,” Poghosyan says. “(Family) is the primary mission for a woman, and I can’t believe I’d ever be advised to divert my priority from family.”
On the job, she is known as a strict and responsible chief to a staff of 130. An average day finds her in 10 to 15 meetings and sometimes her professional obligations keep her out of the home until midnight.
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Matters concerning youth and culture are close to her heart. Not as close, though, as family. She may be seen as a symbol of women-power potential, but by no means champions feminist ideology: A woman’s first duty is at home, she says.
A biologist by education, Poghosyan has always held jobs, but interrupted them for maternity leaves to raise her two sons, ages 14 and 23.
“I have been working since I graduated university, but I was pushed not by a need for self-assertion, but just to support my husband and to sustain the family.”
After eight years as a secondary school teacher, in 1986 Poghosyan joined the Armenian Society for Cultural Ties and Cooperation with Foreign Countries (now one of the most active NGOs in the sphere of culture), where during 10 years she made a good career, rising to head the council.
“The suggestion of my appointment as a minister coincided with time when I feel that my children have become more independent. They still need me and I do my best to spend more time with them. Sometimes I manage, sometimes I don’t. And this is the worst thing about being in a responsible position. (But) If I would not be a minister, I would be less happy for sure.”
Poghosyan, who has no party affiliation, does not share the opinion of some progressive women that the Armenian political field is incomplete because it involves few women. She says women still have plenty to do in the family, and that gender balance alone is not worth women taking on “men’s” duties.
“Some women who work in my staff have little children. Sometimes they are late in the morning, sometimes they miss work because their children are sick,” she says. “Should I be strict with them? As a chief, probably yes, but as woman I understand them. I wish maternity leaves could be as long as needed to assure that women enjoy each day of communication with their children, instead of thinking how to get money to feed the family.”
Poghosyan, who was appointed to her post by the Prime Minister, says women and politics are incompatible. She does, however, wish to see more women lawmakers in Armenia, to lobby for women and children’s issues.
“I believe that politics is for men. Sometimes I am asked if I think so, then why I am here. First of all I don’t think the Ministry of Culture is at the heart of big politics. I am happy my work influences culture, a stronghold of any society. I put my heart and soul to advance the sector because tomorrow our generation, including my children, will reap the results.”
Poghosyan says she does not understand exactly what women mean when they say gender equality.
“By nature women have one mission, and men another,” she says. “No one biological species are equal in all. To change nature and shape another social status for women is not right.”
Poghosyan says that some European countries which succeeded in gender equality are hit by the other effect- the families values have been infringed. She also says that the aggressive gender politics results in untrue relations of men and women.
“Once we hosted a guest from Denmark. When my husband offered to help her put on her coat, she was astonished and asked: ‘Do men in Armenia still court women?’ So it was my turn to be surprised. I obviously do not want to see the same in Armenia, when men would stop being men.”
Poghosyan says what she wants is to see Armenian men more strong and worthy and women be feminine and tolerant.
“What works for Europe will not work for Armenia because we have different history and culture and mentality,” the minister says. “That’s why I don’t like people saying that Armenia remains behind because here the gender issue is not a priority. I think there are many other sectors in Europe where they have progressed and we should try, also.”
One of such spheres is the culture. Poghosyan says that Armenian women have a tremendous responsibility to raise culturally-educated children.
“It is known that the mothers are the best teachers for the children and I don’t see any other alternative. No school, nor grandparent can give what the mother gives. Armenian women have so many things to do especially now, when society needs intelligent people.”
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