YEREVAN. – Armenian parliament must not accept wordings similar to the third provision of the Law on Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Men and Women, Armenian MP said.

Despite the fact that the law has been approved by parliament and signed by president, it requires amendments, Prosperous Armenia member Naira Zohrabyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Back in May, the Armenian parliament passed a bill on equal rights and equal opportunities for men and women. The third article of the bill was the subject of intense public discussion, including debates in social networks. The law defines the concept of ‘gender’ as “acquired and socially prescribed behavior of people of different sex, social status of relations between a man and a woman, which is expressed in all spheres of public life.”

Naira Zohrabyan said she had offered to hold parliamentary hearings with the participation of interested organizations.

“The Committee on Human Rights will deal with the issue,” she said, adding that the lawmakers acted in haste by adopting the law. She is convinced that a more detailed study is necessary before approving the law in the third reading.

“Of course, the law on ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men solves a significant problem. The philosophy of the law is that men and women should have equal rights, but some of the wordings could cause misinterpretation,” she noted.