HOW TO GET RID OF STEREOTYPES AND OVERCOME DISCRIMINATORY APPROACH: ROUND TABLE-DISCUSSION AT ASUE
How to get rid of stereotypes and overcome discriminatory approach against women, what the implications are and what impact may have on the country's economic development. The wide range of these issues brought together a number of experts and specialists at ASUE Center for International Programs to discuss the topic entitled “Gender Aspect of Women Participation in Labor Market: Stereotype as a Hindering Factor in Ensuring Inclusiveness”.
It was the 2nd meeting within the framework of “Creating a Platform for Discussion on Inclusive Growth in Armenia” program initiated by ASUE and Armenian Office of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
“Our Office has two priorities: economic growth and employment: this program aims to create a platform where these issues will be discussed and will be presented to stakeholders in form of recommendations”; welcoming the participants of the meeting said Zara Alaverdyan, the Director of Armenian Office of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Nerses Gevorgyan, the Program Manager, outlined in his speech, that the program aimed to hold discussions and to develop suggestions around the mentioned issues.
“Gender equality is more than just women's issue, it is the evidence for resourceful economy”, said Nvard Manasyan, a member of the Program Management Group, Spherical Analyst, and presented in details the normative approaches to both education and professional orientation and labor market. She said that discrimination against women had two reasons: first narrow limits were being drawn when getting education, where they were able to work and make career, and then the structure of economy. The analyst said that both of them were caused by stereotypes. The basic speakers were: Heghine Manasyan, Doctor in Economics, Director of Armenian Foundation of Caucasus Research Resource Center, presented a report entitled “Differentiation of Women’s Employment and Salary in Armenia” and Ruzanna Tsaturyan, researcher of Ethnography Institute of the RA National Academy of Sciences, presented report entitled “The Existing Gender Discriminatory Content and Pedagogical Approaches in Armenian Education System”.
The first speaker presented the fields where especially women were included and how they’re paid, and the second reporter presented the research she had conducted in two directions: secondary textbooks and teachers' methodology.
“The research of textbooks shows what ideals are provided to children, and the study of methodology shows there are still various stereotypes, formulas in educational environment, within the framework of which people’s professional orientation and integration to life are being carried out”; mentioned Ruzanna Tsaturyan.
The program management team will provide comprehensive research about the problem, which we should publish in the website: presenting complete conceptual studies on the topic.
ASUE Media and Public Relations Division
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