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On April 23 the NA Vice President of the National Assembly Hermine Naghdalyan received Sean McNally, the Chief of Party for the USAID parliamentary strengthening program in Armenia (SANAP).

Within the framework of the four-year program launched in autumn of 2012 it is designed to strengthen the parliament’s representation, oversight and analytical capabilities. Certain deputies and four standing committees have been chosen for the strengthening of capabilities and support. Those responsible for the program are also interested in cooperation with women deputies and design a series of meetings and discussions with them. By Sean McNally’s conviction, it will be effective to consolidate the women deputies’ potential concerning the children, family and women over certain issues. To her characterization, these are universal problems, and do not recognize any party affiliation.

Welcoming this initiative. Hermine Naghdalyan expressed readiness for supporting the idea and using her experience. Before reaching an agreement over the format of the cooperation and possible directions the NA Vice President presented the efforts and results from 1995. Mrs Naghdalyan had been an MP from 1995, where a separate women’s party was presented. By Hermine Naghdalyan’s assessment that picture and experience will be useful for succeeding the new initiative. Though mainly the women are elected deputy through proportional electoral system, therefore being led by the political and party principles, the Vice President of the Parliament deemed possible their consolidation over the all-human values and agenda. In particular, that in this parliament there is such precedent, when the draft law ensuring equal rights for women and men was debated.

The expert invited by the strengthening program had studied the problem of the women’s involvement in political and other structures. An agreement was reached with the NA President to organize the publication of those results, as well as debates with 14 women deputies. Mrs Naghdalyan noted that the women’s participation in political public spheres had been in the center of attention long ago. Besides, she deemed important and useful the women’s active involvement in local self-government bodies, as well as the participation of the women in entities in the state program of small and medium entrepreneurship.

In the course of the meeting both sides discussed other issues of bilateral interest.

The NA Vice President thanked Sean McNally, the Chief of Party for the USAID parliamentary strengthening program in Armenia, expressing confidence that their activity would be aimed at strengthening of the political system of Armenia and would promote in the reinforcement of the statehood.