Statement by the Delegation of Armenia at the 1127th Meeting of the Forum for Security Co-operation: “Security dialogue: Women in the armed forces, challenges and perspectives”

11 February, 2026

Chair,

At the outset, I would like to express our appreciation to the French Chairpersonship for bringing the topic of “Women in the armed forces: challenges and perspectives,” to the attention of the FSC. We also thank the speakers for their insightful presentations.

Armenia attaches great importance to the role of women in the armed forces as well as to addressing the challenges they face and advancing the opportunities for their meaningful participation. The Government of Armenia has consistently promoted gender equality and gender mainstreaming in the defence sector, with a particular focus on inclusive participation, including women’s involvement in decision-making processes and democratic oversight of the armed forces. Such participation contributes to more effective responses to complex security challenges, improved situational awareness, better engagement with civilian populations, and more sustainable security outcomes.

The Government of Armenia remains firmly committed to advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

In this regard, Armenia adopted in 2025 its Third National Action Plan on the implementation of UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. The Plan underscores that women’s equal participation in decision-making is vital for strengthening democratic institutions, improving governance, and building a just and inclusive society. It takes a comprehensive approach to increasing women’s participation in the Armed Forces and peacekeeping activities, enhancing their role in leadership and policy-making, and integrating gender perspectives into defence reforms, in line with international standards and best practices.

In this vein, targeted measures have been undertaken to promote gender equality within the defence sector. These include the provision of professional military education for women in military universities since 2013 and the adoption, in 2023, of legislation enabling women’s voluntary military service for a six-month term, shorter than one and half year for men, but with the possibility of subsequent contractual service. This new system broadens the role of women in the military and aims to balance the need for increased military personnel with the goal of promoting women’s contribution to national defence. Since 2018, Armenian female peacekeepers have been actively contributing to international peacekeeping efforts.

Armenia continues to work towards creating an enabling environment that supports the recruitment, retention, and professional development of women in uniform, including through education, training, and career-advancement opportunities.

We emphasize the importance of ensuring safe and inclusive working environments within armed forces. Preventing and responding to gender-based discrimination and harassment, as well as ensuring accountability and access to effective remedies, are essential to fostering trust and cohesion within military institutions.
In this regard we also underscore the importance of international cooperation and the exchange of best practices within the OSCE framework. Capacity-building, data collection, and evidence-based policy-making are critical to advancing women’s full participation in the armed forces.

In conclusion, Armenia firmly believes that the meaningful participation of women in the security and defence sector is not only a matter of equality, but also a key factor in enhancing operational effectiveness, institutional resilience, comprehensive security and sustainable peace.

Thank you.

MFA RA
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