Women will have the opportunity to serve in the Armenian army for six months

Women serving in the Armenian army

Women in Armenia will have the opportunity, if they wish, to complete a six-month military service. On April 21, the government approved this project, now it will be submitted to the parliament for discussion.

Defense Minister Suren Papikyan expects the National Assembly to consider it in the near future, before the end of the session, so that women can participate in the winter conscription on a voluntary basis.

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Voluntary or compulsory service?

Suren Papikyan announced military service for women would be voluntary. He said that “for citizens already called up for military service, a six-month period of compulsory military service is established.”

Women who submitted an application will be able to refuse compulsory military service only until the day of prescription.

Women’s service will be organized exclusively in training military units.

According to the minister, women who have entered the military service

• will not be able to receive deferrals for family reasons,
• will not be demobilized ahead of schedule for family reasons.

“The possible presence of such conditions will be checked before being called up for service,” he explained.

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Opportunity to enter contract service

The Minister of Defense also said that after the six-month period of compulsory service, women will have the opportunity to apply for participation in the “Defender of the Fatherland” program and enter the service under a contract for a period of five years.

Those who do not want to continue military service will be transferred to the reserve and receive bonuses for months of service.

“It is planned to set the amount at 1 million drams [$2,600] with full service, for 6 months. And in case of early demobilization for health reasons, the specified amount will be divided by 6 and multiplied by the number of months actually served,” Papikyan said.

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“They should become a full part of the army”

The Prime Minister of Armenia believes that women should become a full-fledged part of the Armed Forces. According to Nikol Pashinyan, it is necessary to change the idea that women can only be part of the service staff.

He believes that this project “opens a new page in the history of the Armenian army and the country as a whole.”

According to the prime minister, the project on the military service of women is a step towards a “professional army”, although at first glance it may give the opposite impression.

“This will not be a walk around a military unit, this will be a normal military service,” he said.

According to Pashinyan, those who decide to demobilize after six months of service will replenish the reserve of the armed forces, and those who continue to serve under the contract will become part of the “active army.”

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Comments from social networks

“A girl comes to her father and says: “I’m going to serve in the army.” And the father says: “No army, I will not let my daughter.” Then they come for her and take her into the army. This is how I understand voluntary compulsory service.”

“Many of our girls dreamed of serving in the national army. Believe me, this opportunity will change a lot. It will change our thinking, it will change our attitude towards our women. With this decision, we will prove that being small is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, small states perceive the value of statehood more deeply. Small countries like ours need such solutions.”

“Now he wants to destroy women too, so that there is no one even to give birth to children.”

“Is this the only thing missing on the path to becoming Israel? Forget this law. Better to revivify schools.

“Let men sit at home and take care of children, drink cappuccino in a cafe, women will do everything for them. It seems that in our country there should be a matriarchy for everything to be in order.”

“It would be more correct to organize free mandatory first aid courses for all adult girls. So they will be more useful both for the army and for the rear.

“Let their mothers, sisters and wives [meaning members of the government that approved the project] go to serve in the army first, and then we.”

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Women serving in the Armenian army