Ludmila Froimi Ter-Petrossian (nee Pleskovskaya) was born on December 20, 1947 in the city of Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg).
Her father was an army officer who fought in World War II and her mother was a doctor who took part in the defense of Leningrad.
Ludmila Ter-Petrossian is a graduate of the Faculty of Germanic Studies at the Leningrad State Russian University. In 1972, she married a young Armenian doctoral student, Levon Ter-Petrossian, and moved to Yerevan. Their son David was born in 1975.
Ludmila Ter-Petrossian worked for 20 years as a reporter and editor at the Russian editorial desk of the Armenian State Radio.
Since 1990, Ludmila Ter-Petrossian has been engaged in humanitarian work, with special attention to the causes of women and children, particularly disabled children. The Kharberd Specialized Children’s Home, Specialized Boarding School 11 in Nubarashen, the Vanadzor Children’s Home, and the Oshakan Children's Rehabilitation Center were renovated at her initiative and with support from international organizations and Armenian communities throughout the world.
In 1994, Ludmila Ter-Petrossian helped to found the All Armenian Women’s Union, a non-governmental organization working to protect the rights of women and children. She has served as the organization’s president to this day. Through its numerous projects, many women have been given the opportunity to improve their professional qualifications and find work. Since 1995, the organization has implemented a program for teenagers and young adults called "I am a Citizen of the 21st Century." The program seeks to raise young people’s awareness on issues of democracy and human rights, and to help them develop and express their own views as active participants in the country’s political processes.
In 1996, at the initiative of Mrs. Ter-Petrossian and the All Armenian Women’s Union, the National Assembly of Armenia was one of the first among the republics of the former Soviet Union to adopt a law on the rights of children.
The All Armenian Women's Union is active not only in Yerevan, but in almost all the regions of Armenia, focusing special attention on the numerous problems faced by women in rural areas.
The Union collaborates with a range of international and women's non-governmental organizations both within and outside Armenia. It has organized four international women's conferences, in 1994, 2005, 2006, and 2007, which have helped raise the image of Armenian women in the public, political, and social fields. In 2006, at one such international women's conference, Mrs. Ter-Petrossian established an informal club for women of the South Caucasus, to promote the health and security of the peoples of the South Caucasus, women and children in particular.
In 1996, through the direct support of Ludmila Ter-Petrossian, more than ten delegates were given the opportunity to represent Armenia for the first time at the Fourth International Women's Conference organized by the United Nations in Beijing.
In 1997, the Developmental Services for Armenia (DSA) organization was established in Los Angeles at the initiative of Ludmila Ter-Petrossian. Over the past ten years, this organization has provided eight schools in Armenia with boilers, donated twelve ambulances to regional hospitals, and established computer classrooms in twenty schools. Their work continues.
In recent years, Ludmila Ter-Petrossian has participated in a number of important international conferences:
- An international conference dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the UN Human Rights Charter; Paris, France, 1999.
- An international conference dedicated to issues of public health organized by US First Lady Hillary Clinton; Atlanta, USA.
- An international conference dedicated to issues of mental health organized by former US First Lady Rosalynn Carter; Helsinki, Finland, 1997.
- An international women's conference dedicated to children's issues organized by former French First Lady Anne-Aymone Giscard d’Estaing; Paris, France, 2002.
- The international conference Gender and Democracy organized by the German National Council of Women's Associations; Berlin, Germany, 2004.
In 1995, Ludmila Ter-Petrossian was awarded a medal by UNICEF for her active social work.
Today, Ludmila Ter-Petrossian continues to be actively involved in humanitarian work, and spends time with her three young grandchildren.
published: 2006-01-01 00:00:00 last updated:2006-08-03 00:00:00
