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On October 29 the NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs organized parliamentary hearings on the RA draft law “On Amending the Family Code of the Republic of Armenia” The age difference determined for women and men during the marriage registration is removed by the draft law, and 18 years is determined as a minimum threshold of the marriage age.

Presenting the necessity of convening parliamentary hearings, the Deputy Chairperson of the Committee Margarit Yesayan noted that after presenting the draft law by the Government within the different circles of the society, especially among the national minorities, a wave of anxiety rose, which became a signal that there was a need to additionally debate the problem of the marriage age.

The RA Deputy Minister of Justice Aram Orbelyan clarified the essence of the bill among the raised problems. The latter said that taking into account the problems, the Ministry had prepared the edited version of the draft law, by which 18 years could be determined as a marriage minimum age, by the consent of the parents and the trustees 17 years could be determined, for exceptional cases judicial order is envisaged for the marriage in 16 years.

Touching upon the part of the health care of the amendment, the Chief Obstetrician-Gynecologist of the RA Health Care Ministry Razmik Abrahamyan noticed that it was justified from the view of women’s health maintenance, as 18 years is the optimal threshold of becoming mother.

In their speeches the representatives of the state organizations, NGOs, national minorities mainly considered the amended version complete and admissible.