ined ▁to ▁ 2 3 % ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁Based ▁on ▁a ▁report ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁Nations , ▁there ▁were ▁ 2 4 ▁female ▁may ors ▁and ▁community ▁leaders ▁in ▁Armen ia ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 ; ▁a ▁further ▁ 5 0 ▁women ▁held ▁lower - level ▁administrative ▁positions . ▁ ▁Trad itional ▁status ▁Although ▁some ▁national ist ▁femin ists ▁from ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁to ▁the ▁present ▁have ▁con co cted ▁a ▁view ▁of ▁ancient ▁Armen ian ▁society ▁and ▁law ▁as ▁being ▁woman - friend ly , ▁there ▁is ▁virt ually ▁no ▁evidence ▁for ▁this ▁assertion . ▁The ▁law ▁code ▁of ▁M kh itar ▁G os , ▁d ating ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁century , ▁sought ▁to ▁raise ▁women ' s ▁status ▁from ▁its ▁former ▁level , ▁however ▁the ▁code ▁explicitly ▁en sh r ined ▁male ▁dom ination ▁and ▁forb ade ▁divor ce , ▁even ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁domestic ▁violence ▁or ▁mar ital ▁ra pe . ▁Its ▁most ▁progress ive ▁elements ▁seem ▁to ▁have ▁never ▁been ▁applied ▁in ▁society ▁at ▁large , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁and ▁ 1 9 th ▁centuries ▁both ▁out s ider ▁and ▁ins ider ▁reports ▁over wh el ming ly ▁commented ▁on ▁the ▁low ▁status ▁of ▁women ▁in ▁traditional ▁Armen ian ▁society . ▁Mar ried ▁women ▁lived ▁as ▁virtual ▁slaves ▁of ▁their ▁hus b ands ' ▁families , ▁although ▁the ▁situation ▁improved ▁gradually ▁with ▁age . ▁During ▁the ▁first ▁year ▁of ▁marriage