While living in Armenia and raising kids here can be very
empowering and enriching, it also comes with its part of challenges; the main one for me being the lack of equality and diversity that they witness or encounter in
their everyday life and more specifically in dealing with different
institutions and services available to the public; transport, schools,
hospital, public spaces, entertainment centers… This lack of equality is
demonstrated in many forms; comments, attitudes, stereotypes, annoying constant
staring from others, unsolicited derogatory comments, peer-pressure, lack of
accessibility/opportunities for some. So
while you try to teach your kids, as part of your family values, to be who they
want to be and respect and treat equally everyone else regardless the way they
look, what they wear, the way they walk or talk, who they love or attracted to,
if they have disabilities or not, it seems that once outside of the home they
are constantly bombarded by opposite messages from school teachers, taxi
drivers, grocery store workers, doctors(sometimes), TV, pop singers, art school
teachers and many people they encounter outside their home.
