, ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁permitted ▁to ▁speak ▁to ▁anyone ▁except ▁their ▁husband , ▁and ▁were ▁forb idden ▁from ▁leaving ▁the ▁house . ▁Young ▁Armen ian ▁br ides ▁created ▁a ▁sign ▁language ▁called ▁H arn ser en , ▁which ▁transl ates ▁to ▁" Language ▁of ▁the ▁B ride ." ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁gesture ▁based ▁sign ▁language ▁that ▁developed ▁against ▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁silence ▁im posed ▁on ▁married ▁Armen ian ▁women . ▁In ▁some ▁villages , ▁these ▁restrictions ▁continued ▁even ▁after ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁child , ▁and ▁may ▁have ▁last ed ▁more ▁than ▁ten ▁years . ▁Fem ale ▁suic ide ▁was ▁more ▁common ▁than ▁male ▁suic ide , ▁in ▁striking ▁contrast ▁to ▁the ▁situation ▁in ▁the ▁west . ▁ ▁In ▁spite ▁of ▁the ▁inferior ▁position ▁of ▁women ▁in ▁Armen ian ▁society , ▁the ▁Armen ian ▁Apost ol ic ▁Church ▁allowed ▁women ▁greater ▁opportun ities ▁for ▁assuming ▁cler ical ▁roles ▁than ▁most ▁other ▁Christian ▁trad itions . ▁Un like ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Orth odox , ▁however , ▁they ▁were ▁strongly ▁opposed ▁to ▁divor ce , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁the ▁divor ce ▁rate ▁in ▁traditional ▁Armen ia ▁has ▁always ▁been ▁among ▁the ▁lowest ▁in ▁the ▁Christian ▁world . ▁ ▁Vi ol ence ▁against ▁women ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁World ▁Health ▁Organ ization , ▁between ▁ 1 0 % ▁and ▁ 6 0 % ▁of ▁Armen ian ▁women ▁suffered ▁domestic ▁ab use ▁and ▁violence ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ; ▁the ▁uncertainty ▁of ▁the ▁data ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁under report ing ▁of ▁domestic ▁violence ▁in