Gohar Aghjoyan, a psychologist, trainer, and volunteer from Georgia’s ethnic Armenian minority community, shares how partnering with USAID during her student years helped her grow into a community leader. Now, Gohar helps women and young people from Georgia’s ethnic Armenian community participate more fully in Georgian society.
USAID is telling the stories of women across Georgia who, with USAID’s partnership, are building the country’s prosperous, democratic, and European future. Gohar Aghjoyan is a young psychologist from the village of Didi Aragali in Ninotsminda municipality, Samtskhe-Javakheti region. Gohar originally moved to Tbilisi to study psychology, and now works as a psychologist, trainer, and volunteer supporting young women and girls from Georgia’s ethnic Armenian community.
“Like all the other girls and women living in this village, I grew up very quiet, shy and dependent on others,” says Gohar. “According to social norms, a good girl should be obedient and not individualistic.”
As a child, Gohar had many dreams and goals, but felt they were unrealistic because of societal standards. “I often had to think about these goals silently and then forget them, because everyone told me that I should dream [only] as much as society allowed me to. And I obeyed this rule,” Gohar recalls.
After participating in a gender equality training course delivered by the National Democratic Institute, Gohar joined the Ninotsminda Youth Center, a community center managed by the UN Association of Georgia with USAID support. Involvement with the center gave Gohar opportunities to get directly involved in activities to advance the civic integration of members of Georgia’s diverse ethnic and religious groups.
While participating in USAID’s Promoting Integration, Tolerance, and Awareness (PITA) program, Gohar visited many villages and schools in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, and helped others find opportunities to develop personally and to make a positive impact in their communities.
Although Gohar was initially nervous, the experience helped her build confidence. “A little girl who was afraid of everyone and everything, even her dreams, became so strong that she started fighting for the dreams of others,” says Gohar.
“Within the framework [of USAID’s program], I met many strong women, people from different communities and ethnicities… I realized who I was and what I really wanted. I learned to express my opinion and take steps independently. I dared to choose the profession that I wanted,” says Gohar. “I learned so much from these activities and from the people I met under the USAID program that I started to recognize manipulation, to fight against violence, to protect myself and other girls.”
Since then, Gohar has become a trainer on topics such as gender equality, professional development, and stress management, and she conducts free psychological consultations with women and girls from the ethnic Armenian community. She also runs a blog on Instagram, where she shares her experiences, difficulties, and problem-solving techniques for younger girls.
“I am a successful woman today because I am strong and independent,” adds Gohar. “Through USAID, the lives of many people in Georgia have changed for the better, including mine.”
