Socialist International Vice President Maria Titizian (center) at the panel discussion at the UN.

UNITED NATIONS—A leading member of Armenia’s sole socialist party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, spoke as a keynote speaker on March 3 during a panel discussion, focusing on the global agenda on women, organized by the Social International Women in conjunction with the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

Maria Titizian, who serves as the Vice President of the Socialist International, spoke about women in the CIS and their role in the transition from Soviet communism to democracy. Her remarks came days before the world celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8.

This year’s session of the CSW, began on March 1 and will conclude on March 12. It marks the 15th anniversary of the UN-sponsored Fourth Conference on Women in Beijing.

The SIW panel, hosted by the Permanent Mission of Greece to the UN, was titled “Beijing +15 What Next?” It focused on the Beijing Declaration of 1995 and featured many other distinguished speakers, from the President of the SWI to the Greek Ambassador to the UN. Also among the speakers was Valentine Berberian of the Armenian Relief Society.

Titizian’s speech to the panel, titled “Transition to Democracy: Women in the CIS 15 Years After Beijing”, can be read by CLICKING HERE.