Wnews.am continues to present prestigious Armenian women. This time, we present RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan.

BIOGRAPHY

Hranush Hakobyan was born on April 12, 1954 in the Sarukhan village of Gegharkunik Province.

Education

1970-graduated from School N 1 of Gavar with a gold medal

1975-graduated from the Faculty of Applied Mathematics of Yerevan State University

1989-graduated from the Moscow Academy of Social Sciences with honors

1994-graduated from the Faculty of Law of Yerevan State University with honors. She is a Doctor of Legal Sciences and Professor.

Work Experience

1975-83: Professor of the Faculty of Applied Mathematics of Yerevan State University

1978-83: Deputy Secretary/Secretary of the Lenin Communist Youth Union of Yerevan State University

1983-85: Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lenin Communist Youth Union of Armenia

1985-90: First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lenin Communist Youth Union of Armenia, elected member of the Bureau of the Central Committee of the Lenin Communist Youth Union of Armenia (Moscow)

1986-90: Deputy of the Supreme Council (SC) of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR), member of the chairmanship of the SC

1990-95: Deputy of the SC and National Assembly (NA) of the Republic of Armenia (RA), Vice-Chairperson of the NA Standing Committee on Public Health and Nature Protection

1995-96: Chairperson of the same Committee

1995-97: Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on Social Affairs of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of CIS countries

1996-98: RA Minister of Social Security

1996-2008: member and later leader of the Armenian Delegation to the International Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, member of the Coordinating Council for Women’s Issues

1999-2003: member of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, Vice-Chairperson of the EU-Armenia Committee

2003-08: Chairperson of the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth Affairs

June 2008- Chairperson of the State Committee on Relations with the Diaspora at the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs

October 2008- RA Minister of Diaspora

On 16 June 2012, she was reappointed RA Minister of Diaspora.

By the decree of the RA President of 8 May 2013, she was reappointed RA Minister of Diaspora.

By the decree of the RA President of 23 April 2014, she was reappointed RA Minister of Diaspora.

Other data:

Author of 6 books and over 40 scientific works; member of the boards of trustees of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund and several other funds and foundations; co-founder of the Armenian-American Wellness Center; President of the Armenian International Women’s Association; member of the boards of Yerevan State University and Yerevan State Linguistic University; president of the board of Gavar State University; created the Youth Parliament; lectures at the State Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia and Gavar State University.

She has been recognized as Best Woman of the Year, Best Deputy of the Year and Best Political Figure of the Year.

In 2008, by the decree of the RA President, she was granted the title of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia.

She has been awarded with the “Friendship of Nations” decoration (1986), the “For Merit” decoration (by the decree of the President of France, 2008), the Mkhitar Gosh medal (by the decree of the RA President, 2011), the 2^nd degree medal “For Services Provided to the Homeland” (by the decree of the RA President, 2015), the Commemorative Medal dedicated to the 20^th Anniversary of the Independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (2011) and the Commemorative Medal dedicated to the 20^th Anniversary of the RA Armed Forces (2012). She has state and governmental awards, particularly the Commemorative Medal of the RA National Assembly (2005), the Commemorative Medal of the RA Prime Minister (2006-08), the Garegin Nzhdeh Medal of the RA Ministry of Defense (2014), the AGBU AYA Gold Medal (2013), the Encouraging Award of the RA Prime Minister (2014), the Fridtjof Nansen, Khachatur Abovyan, Mikhail Lomonosov, Petros Mets, Valery Brusov, “For Cooperation”, “For Labor” and David Anhaght Medals, the Medal of Honor of the Chess Academy of Armenia, the “20^th Anniversary of the Union of Land Defenders” Medal of the Republic of Armenia (2015), the Commemorative Medal of the “Land Defender of Armenia” of the Union of Land Defenders of the Republic of Armenia (2015), the Medal for Remembrance of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide (All-Russian Committee Coordinating the events in commemoration of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, 2015).

Member of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), member of the Executive Body of the RPA

CHILDHOOD

Hranush Hakobyan has two sisters and one brother.

“I was a big troublemaker in school. I would learn my lessons in ten minutes. I inherited my father’s great memory, and I am grateful for that because it helps me on the job. My mother wanted me to become a nurse. When I was in the 5^th grade, my father said his daughter had to become a mathematician, and the subject was closed,” the minister says.

The minister confessed that when she was a child, she would try to be like her brother and that the two would compete with each other.

“When I was going to school, my parents were principals. Science and education came first in our family. I didn’t think that I shouldn’t have been the best since my parents were school principals. I have always aspired to be the best,” Hranush Hakobyan says.

ABOUT HER PARENTS

According to Hranush Hakobyan, her mother is the person who mainly gives her advice.

“When I became the secretary  of the Central Youth Committee of Armenia and my brother became the director of the Jodi mines in 1983, my father sat us down and told us that we were taking a long path in life and if that is how it worked out, we need to be devoted to our jobs until the end. He added that we need to be honored and that if any one of us did anything wrong or illegal, he wouldn’t deal with us. My family and I follow my father’s commandment to this day as a holy commandment.

By fate, I was born to a family in which my parents set an example for me. They had a huge impact on my life,” the minister says.

The father was a historian, philosopher and philologist, and the mother was a historian and worked as a school principal.

Taking a glance back at her life, Hranush Hakobyan doesn’t regret anything that she has done. “I would do whatever I did. There is nothing to regret. There have been flaws and mistakes, but there is principal question that will make me feel ashamed or feel remorse,” she says.

ON THE ROLE OF WOMEN AND ARMENIAN WOMEN

“The role of women in society is to raise children, and when a woman starts raising her child, she remains at least ten years younger than the man of her age. I work, and I don’t play the role of a woman. I don’t accept the charm or grace of a woman. The important thing is for a woman to be smart. Being a woman hasn’t been an obstacle for me. Throughout my career, I don’t remember any man who has offended me.

Whereas I can forgive a man for his extremities like smoking and drinking, I don’t forgive a woman. Armenian women need to be moderate in all regards. My faith is Armenian women, and the greatest example is my mother. The woman has to be the smartest and the most organized in the family so that she can manage the family without showing it and make sure the Armenian man is the head of the family. I would also like for Armenian women to never go off limit, while accepting that which is trendy, modern and beautiful when it comes to clothing and accessories. If we line up the women of all nations, Armenian women must be different in terms of their image,” Hranush Hakobyan says.

PERSONAL LIFE

Mrs. Hakobyan doesn’t like to talk about her personal life. She says she hasn’t loved anyone in school. “I have been very strong. Everyone was afraid of me,” she says.

Hranush Hakobyan is divorced and doesn’t have children. “You have to lose something so that the next thing becomes good. If something breaks, you can never fix it. I have turned that page over. I have dedicated myself here. I believe a child is the greatest connection in a family. If there is no child, then a family can’t grow, especially when there is not much love. My nephews and nieces are all mine. I am the wealthiest mother. They love me more than they love their parents. I am happy here with my job, my family and the warmth of my close ones. I don’t think my life has been incomplete.”

ABOUT HER FLAWS

“I am a little emotional, and that disturbs me. It would have been better, if I was a little indifferent or egoist, but I am not like that. From the outside, I appear to be very strict, but those who know me know that I am very soft and have a kind heart. One can immediately make me feel oppressed by telling me about a human destiny. There is a lot of impersonality in me, and the older I get, the more it increases. That is not good, but I can’t stop. The job ��?takes’ me,” the minister says.

ABOUT CRITICISM

“When I was young, I would view criticism more sharply. Today, I have become more indifferent. If the criticism is right, I will definitely think about it and try to make a correction or correct myself.”

DAILY ROUTINE

“I start working in the morning and finish late at night. I wake up in the morning, straighten up, drink a cup of coffee and rush to work. In my office, I first check my two e-mails, flip through the newspapers and then hold meetings and discussions. I don’t remember any Sunday that I haven’t been at the workplace. I am almost never in the kitchen, but I love it, and the reason is that I don’t spend much time there. I can prepare a lot of dishes. There is no dish that I can’t prepare. The most difficult thing is that I can even break beds apart, wash wool and sew a mattress and a blanket. Now, I sometimes help my mother with all that in the summer.

I rest with children and grandchildren and with the family. I don’t like parties or noisy places. I love to read and wander in the heart of nature, if I find the time. It would be wonderful, if I could play tennis or badminton at least an hour every week. I like reading and learning poems more than playing tennis and badminton. Reciting poems is my hobby.”

STYLE

“I like official and moderate clothing. I like to be with taste and presentable because I am representing the nation and the state every day, and I have no right to be messy and wear inappropriate clothing. However, I am not talking about brands and large amounts of money.

I purchase clothes during my trips. I prefer French perfumes. I love to wear pins and pearls. As for official and classic clothes, I mainly wear black and white clothes. In the beginning, my sister’s daughters would help me choose my clothes , but now, I feel helpless because I married them. The important thing is for the clothing to be comfortable and make you feel good. I choose my clothes by being in a store for an hour in America.”

Sources: Hetq news website, “Spitak Ankyun” (White Corner) program series