Women in the Armenian armed forces: How can they guarantee security without security guarantees?

The Women’s Resource Center’s opposing position on the draft ‘’compulsory military service for women on a voluntary basis.’’ On April 21st, 2023, the Armenian Government approved the package of draft amendments to the RA Laws on ‘’Military Service and the Status of Service members’’ and “Defense” and presented it as a legislative initiative to the National Assembly for consideration. With these changes, the Government signaled the introduction of women’s voluntary compulsory military service.

On May 30, during the regular session of the RA NA Standing Committee on Defense and Security Affairs, Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan announced that gender equality was one of the justifications for introducing women’s voluntary mandatory military service. According to the
minister, the key justification of the project is the use of all the human potential of the country, including the involvement of the “females” in the defense of the motherland.

Women’s military service will not promote gender equality

Interpreting women’s military service within the framework of gender equality is highly problematic. In Armenia decades as an institution, the army has been formed and operated as a male-centered structure. Under the presented ‘’reforms’’, it is not possible to expect that this structure can be transformed and adapted to the demands of women in such a short period of time. The experts of the RA NA staff also addressed the shortfalls of the draft law. According to experts, in the Project, it turns out that “female” recruits, before taking the military oath, go through a military training program with “male” service members, on an equal basis, in the same military unit (maximum 40 days). The draft does not specify the issues of providing separate military accommodation for “female” service members in the military unit.

Although the Minister of Defense of Armenia claims that the military units will be separate and modified for women, there are no legal regulations in this regard.

The draft does not specify exactly what service ‘’female’’ service members will perform, whether they will be fully involved in the tasks assigned to “male” service members, what military specialization they can receive, etc. In this matter, it is important to consider the example of the
Israeli army, where women’s service is mandatory. In the Israeli army, there is a clear division of labor between women and men, and women are rarely included in combat operations and perform office work. In 2009, 71% of secretarial jobs were occupied by women. Will there be a division of labor in the Armenian army according to gender roles? International and local experience shows that yes.

Gender equality implies more than the inclusion of women at the bottom of a power structure created by men. It is an illusion to think that the involvement of women in the lower echelons of the military machine will contribute to gender equality, as they have limited agency to change and influence said structures. In the effort to promote ‘’equality’’, there is a danger that this institution created by men will become a threat to women. Its male-dominated staff carries and reproduces gender stereotypes and a culture of violence that will be the primary threat and obstacle for women. Moreover, the issue will not be solved by promoting more women into higher ranks, because these women would also carry those stereotypes and approaches in order to be accepted by this male-centered institution. Ultimately, women are different and have different life experiences.

Research shows that women involved in armed conflicts are viewed as overly sensitive, without any agency by the public. In conservative societies, such as Armenia, keeping women away from military conflicts has come from cultural norms and now including them in the army has nothing to do with changing cultural norms. It is aimed at increasing the armed forces numbers. Yet the analysis of modern wars states that it is not the size of the armed forces, but the power of modern military equipment that is a decisive factor on the battlefield.

Historically, women disabled as a result of military service are subjected to double discrimination and have difficulty reintegrating into society because, according to sexist societal norms, they no longer fit the social image of femininity. The attractiveness and sexuality of men disabled by military service are not affected in the same way as women. There is also a lot of public pressure on women to not leave their male partners with disabilities, however, it would not be the same for women with disabilities. In the case of men, the same society may encourage a “healthy” man not to marry a woman with a disability.

The promotion of women in public life while nothing changes in private has historically resulted in women taking on a double burden of being exploited by the patriarchal machine. And in this case, when the advancement of women in public life is done selectively by the state. When it comes to political decision-making, be it in foreign diplomacy or the military, men are in a dominant position. If the state promotes gender equality, it is important to pay attention to issues such as unpaid work performed by women in the family. Women mainly carry out the care of children, the elderly, and the sick, and do a huge part of the housework. For years, the state has not taken effective measures to involve men in household chores and care for children, the elderly, and the sick, but instead allocates financial and human resources to involve women in yet another area. In fact, if the service frees men from their “duty to the motherland”, in the case of women, motherhood and the duty of reproducing new soldiers for the motherland will be added to this.

The involvement of women in the military will create security challenges for women

The service of men in the army itself has many security problems, and NGOs have voiced their concerns for years. These ongoing processes can exacerbate those problems and add new ones. Before the 2020 NK War, human rights organizations in Armenia spoke out against the high rate of non-combatant deaths in the army. The Ministry of Justice of Armenia stated in its opinion on the draft law that before adoption, it is necessary to study the international experience and establish clear rules and procedures to ensure the safety of women. In countries where women serve, sexual harassment and rape in the military is a serious problem. According to the BMJ Military Health magazine, a study on women who served in the British Army reported women having serious and long-term physical and mental health problems caused by experiences of sexual violence. Of the 750 female veterans surveyed, 22.5% said they had been sexually harassed and 5.1% said they had been sexually assaulted in the military.

The large-scale involvement of women in the military puts the very safety of women at risk. Women cannot ensure the country’s security when it does not ensure their own. Diplomats also serve the security interests of the state, and women are absent in the negotiation processes and in the ranks of decision-makers. These issues do not fully reflect the challenges that will be caused by this law which will affect women’s lives and well-being in a multidimensional way. Women’s military service is a way to make wars safer for women, not to prevent them. Even if the Ministry of Defense completely improves the proposed draft based on the above- mentioned criticisms the state is still trying to make war safe for women and not to ensure women’s safety.