In Armenian schools, literature classes showcase the brilliant minds of our nation. Yet, the majority of the authors students learn about are male, such as Hovhannes Tumanyan, Eghishe Charents, Isahakyan, Paruyr Sevak and many others. Silva Kaputikyan has been the only female voice in the curriculum for decades. Despite the rich contributions female writers have had on our literature, their names, stories and works remain absent from the classrooms.
In Armenia, students begin learning literature from the seventh grade. At first, they get an introduction to the concept of literature, but soon they dive deeper into the lives and works of the male authors. High school textbooks are a repetition of what the students have learned in their previous years, adding more detailed readings of the same writers rather than expanding the literary scope.
In 2023, The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport made some significant changes to the textbooks, such as improvement of content, professional development of educators, and improvement of infrastructures. Most of the literature books are newly reprinted, yet the content is still the same, if not simplified, missing many literature works and authors out.
After more than a decade, the new, 2023 seventh grade textbook features two female writers alongside 13 male authors. In contrast with the old version year that only had Kaputikyan, the addition of Zabel Esayan is a positive improvement. However, the textbook includes only one of her works, with a small biographical paragraph about their lives.
The new editions of eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh grade textbooks do not include any female writers. Only in the new, 2025 twelfth grade textbook, few female writers are mentioned as part of a lesson about “Modern and Diaspora Armenian writers,” such as Zabel Esayan, Sona Van and Marjorie Housepian, the latter as part of the American-Armenian writers list. Even though there is a slight improvement in the seventh and twelfth grade textbooks, the majority of the female writers are still absent.
Gayane Aghabalyan, AUA adjunct lecturer and co-author of the children’s book “Armenian Wonderwomen” that celebrates 38 influential Armenian women in spheres, such as literature, architecture, science, art and music, thinks that including female writers in textbooks is not a priority. The majority of the population is not aware of the role women have played in different fields, as male voices are still the most prominent. But Aghabalyan believes that it is very easy to find information about them, as she recalls the research process she and her friend Elmira Ayvazyan went through while writing “Armenian Wonderwomen.”
Nana Budaghyan, a CS sophomore, recalls Kaputikyan as the only female writer she learned about at school, but briefly. Only this year in her Armenian Language and Literature course, she has learned about Srbuhi Dussap, her life and her works. Budaghyan wishes she had read more about female writers during her school years, because “they would have inspired Armenian girls reading literature to become a writer. A lot of people see that it was mainly a male dominated field and think ‘Why should I try?’”
To fill in that sense of missing representation, Aghabalyan suggests talking and writing about our female writers as much as we can, to change the rusty perception of what women can and cannot do. Fortunately, “Armenian Wonderwomen” has fulfilled its mission at a small village in Aragatsotn region. Aghabalyan shares with a story how an extracurricular class used the book, which allowed students to discover the unsung stories of Armenian women.
“Our main goal is to make sure that the book gets to the furthest corners of Armenia,” she says. For many of those students seeing the impact Armenian women have had on various fields was eye-opening. While the road to equal representation in textbooks might be long, the presence of more female writers can solve bigger issues, from breaking down gender biases to educating a generation about the full story of Armenia’s literary heritage.
To understand why female voices have been silenced for so long, one must examine the gender dynamics and stereotypes in Armenia. A Feb. 2024 study by “EU 4Gender Equality Reform Help Desk” project found that “92% of Armenia’s population hold at least one gender-related bias.”
The persistence of such stereotypes has long-term effects on young girls’ aspirations, shaping the way they view their place in society. If school is not the institution that, alongside education, helps students dream, explore, feel seen, and represented, then what is its purpose?
Armenian female writers have advocated for women’s rights, equality and have raised important political questions through their works, now their voices are forgotten and neglected. Such topics should have their own place in the curriculum to foster healthy discussions among students and break the cycle of stereotypes and biases.
