Maria Karapetyan
{{Short description|Armenian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
Maria Karapetyan (born 20 February 1988) is an Armenian politician and a member of the National Assembly of Armenia for the Civil Contract. She has worked as a teacher at the Quality Schools International in Yerevan and was elected to parliament in 2018. She is a feminist and known for her support of the Armenian LGBT community.{{Cite web|title=Maria Karapetyan, a Feminist and LGBT Ally|url= https://equalityarmenia.org/articles/f/maria-karapetyan-a-feminist-and-lgbt-ally |access-date=7 August 2021 |website=Equality Armenia|language=en-US}}
Early life and education
Maria Karapetyan was born on 20 February 1988 in Vanadzor, Soviet Armenia. She studied Intercultural Communication at the Yerevan Brusov State University from where she earned a bachelor's degree in 2008 and a master's degree in 2010.{{Cite web|title=National Assembly of Armenia|url=http://www.parliament.am/deputies.php?sel=details&ID=1280&lang=eng|access-date=7 August 2021|website=National Assembly of Armenia}} She then moved to Rome, Italy, where she studied International Cooperation, Human Rights and Policy of the European Union at the University of Rome between 2013 and 2015. At the same time, she was also accepted as a student of the Cittadella della Pace in Rondine, Arrezzo.{{Cite web|date=22 March 2019|title=Rondine, the leaderships incubator|url=https://www.morningfuture.com/en/2019/03/22/method-rondine-incubator-politics-peace/|access-date=8 August 2021|website=Morning Future|language=en-US}}
Professional career
After she obtained her BA, she worked as a teacher at the Quality Schools International in Yerevan from 2008 until 2013. Between 2011 and 2018 she took part in the editorial board for the Journal of Conflict Transformation's Caucasus Edition.{{Cite web|title=Maria Karapetyan|url=https://www.civicus.org/icsw-2019/index.php/programme/featured-speakers/660-maria-karapetyan|access-date=7 August 2021|website=www.civicus.org}}
Political career
Karapetyan's political activism began with her opposition to Serge Sargsyan. At night, together with a group of political activists she sprayed the slogan Reject Serzh on prominent streets in Yerevan in support of the Armenian Revolution of 2018.{{Cite news |last=Ayres |first=Sabra|date=12 May 2018|title=The faces of Armenia's revolution: Here are some of the people who helped change the government |url= https://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-armenia-revolution-2018-htmlstory.html |access-date=8 August 2021|work=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}} She became known for her so-called Sisters speech in which she advocated for equal rights for women and men on the Republic Square in Yerevan.{{Cite web |date=17 May 2018|title=Where are the women in Armenia's revolution?|url= https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b8660ce6.html |access-date=7 August 2021 |website=Refworld|language=en}} In the parliamentary election of December 2018, she was elected as a candidate of the Civil Contract within the My Step Alliance.