Armenia’s ruling party’s sexism problem
15.09.2025
By Tigran Grigoryan and Tatev Ghazaryan
On September 8, Armenia’s political discourse sank to a new low when Artur Hovhannisyan, secretary of the ruling Civil Contract faction, launched a personal and sexist attack against opposition MP Taguhi Tovmasyan during a press briefing inside the National Assembly.
The incident followed Hovhannisyan’s interruption of Tovmasyan’s earlier press conference on Armenian prisoners of war held in Baku. Tovmasyan later wrote to Speaker Alen Simonyan, accusing Hovhannisyan of obstructing her parliamentary work and violating journalists’ rights. She also demanded that he undergo daily drug tests before entering parliament.
Later that day, Hovhannisyan responded with remarks widely seen as defamatory and sexist, explicitly implying that Tovmasyan had acquired her property by providing sexual services:
“You’re journalists – and none of you journalists have three or four apartments on Northern Avenue, right? Let her get tested for STDs every day so we understand where those four apartments came from. How does a low-paid journalist (author’s note: Taguhi Tovmasyan worked as a journalist before entering politics) afford apartments on Northern Avenue and elsewhere – perhaps through other services?”
Tovmasyan denied owning four apartments and announced that she would sue Hovhannisyan for defamation.
Prominent human rights defender Zaruhi Hovhannisyan strongly condemned Artur Hovhannisyan’s rhetoric:
“What is happening in the discourse of Armenia’s political field is simply unacceptable. Targeted, defamatory, sexist speech against women engaged in public life has been normalized and fully reflects patriarchal thinking. Women’s personal lives, sexuality, underwear, and behavior are especially targeted. These tendencies have always existed, but the most alarming thing now is that this rhetoric is being spread by male politicians sitting on the highest platforms. This is not only a gross violation of ethics but also an expression of misogyny.”
A pattern of sexist rhetoric
This is not the first time ruling party MPs have used sexist language to attack women in politics and the media. Months earlier, Andranik Kocharyan, chair of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defense and Security, refused to answer a female journalist’s question and told her to “wipe her lips.” He had previously made other degrading remarks, such as dismissing a journalist with “Go to a hair salon” and mocking former Justice Minister Arpine Hovhannisyan by saying she should “speak with facts, like giving the names of her mother and unknown father.”
Despite widespread criticism from journalists and civil society, and calls for an ethics investigation, no parliamentary Ethics Committee was formed, Kocharyan never apologized, and he faced no consequences for his remarks. This precedent suggests that, like his party colleague Andranik Kocharyan, Artur Hovhannisyan will also most likely face no accountability for his sexist and derogatory rhetoric.
Institutional tolerance of misogyny
While Taguhi Tovmasyan’s call for Hovhannisyan to undergo daily drug tests is also regrettable and does not contribute to substantive debate in parliament, it is nowhere near the severity of Hovhannisyan’s sexist attack. His remarks represent a continuation of a troubling pattern in which ruling party MPs resort to gender-based insults rather than engaging in policy-focused discussion. By sexualizing Tovmasyan’s character, Hovhannisyan sought to humiliate her publicly and discredit her as a legislator.
The fact that previous incidents – such as Kocharyan’s remarks – resulted in no apology, no Ethics Committee investigation, and no consequences indicates an institutional tolerance for this type of behavior. This failure to enforce standards of conduct normalizes harassment and misogyny in Armenian politics, making it significantly harder for female politicians – and for women who might otherwise enter public life – to participate in politics. Without accountability, such attacks will continue to erode public trust in parliament and discourage women’s political engagement.
This troubling pattern also underscores a broader lack of democratic values, inclusivity, and tolerance within Armenia’s political elite – and the ruling party in particular. The silence of Hovhannisyan’s party colleagues further demonstrates that sexism in politics is not an isolated incident but a systemic problem tacitly tolerated by the ruling majority. Party loyalty and internal discipline appear to be prioritized over principled positions on critical issues. This is not only a serious obstacle to achieving real pluralism and gender equality but also a significant barrier to Armenia’s democratic consolidation.
Democracy Watch is a joint initiative of CivilNet and the Regional Center for Democracy and Security.
This material has been funded by UK International Development from the UK government; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.