Tbilisi. The Tbilisi Municipality City Council and the South Caucasus Regional Bureau of the Heinrich Boll Foundation have executed Memorandum of Cooperation on December 16. The Memorandum aims to develop a gender-sensitive policy of naming the streets and involve municipalities in this campaign. It also provides that when naming the streets/squares, the priority is given to prominent women names who had played a key role in the country's history. Source: the Heinrich Boll Foundation.

Tbilisi. JumpStart Georgia, in collaboration with Article 42 of the Constitution, has been researching the economics of gender and the role gender inequality plays in the work environment. In Georgia, men earn, on average, 39% more than women. To learn more about gender equality in the work place, to tanastsoroba.ge Visualization  Source: feradi.info  

Kakheti. The Civil Initiative's office has hosted a training on December 12 in Tsnori on women's political participation. During the training, participants gained practical experience in civil activism and on the opportunities to use various forms of social media in this process. In addition, a round table on women's involvement in the election process was held. Meeting participants have discussed the results of an opinion poll, conducted by a member of the partnership network in Sighnaghi in order to fully reflect the needs of women in the election agendas of political parties. Source: the organization's page in the social network

Tbilisi. At the initiative of the Women's Information Center, the series of public lectures in the "Book City" continue. Lectures are about gender equality and women's issues. On December 11, psychologist Lika Barabadze has talked about "Woman's sexuality: double standard, prohibition and taboo". Lectures are delivered as part of the project "Gender-sensitive Information for Gender Equality in Georgia", implemented by the Women's Information Center with financial support of the Swedish organization Kvinna till Kvinna. Source: the organization's page in the social network.    

Kakheti. The study "Analysis of Georgia's Labor Legislation - Gender Discrimination at Workplace and its Legal Consequences" was presented on December 10 in the GYLA's Telavi Office. The study aimed to examine issues in the labor legislation of Georgia relating to gender discrimination at workplace as well as its legal consequences. Marekh Mgaloblishvili, GYLA's lawyer: "The study has revealed that the amendments made to the Labor Code of Georgia in 2013 somewhat improve an employee's protection standards in respect of prohibition of discrimination, however, the risks of unequal treatment in terms of gender inequality are still identified in the labor relations."

Tbilisi. A photo exhibition will open on December 10, on the international Human Rights Day, in the conference hall of the Tbilisi Human Rights House, titled "Women for Human Rights". Photo materials presented at the photo contest of women human rights activists organized by the Human Rights House Fund in 2014 will be exhibited. Photographs reflect the work of women human rights activists. Source: the Tbilisi Human Rights House.

Tbilisi. The National-Democratic Institute has organized an annual conference - "Let's Win with Women". NDI has informed the conference participants about the results of November 2014 study on women's political participation in Georgia. Focus was made on the parties' vision on increasing women representation in the party's structure. Further, the vision of the working group "Women's political participation in Georgia" on mechanisms that secure relevant opportunities for women's participation and equal representation was discussed. The President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili, the Minister of Justice Tea Tsulukiani, the Chairwoman of the Parliament's Gender Equality Council Manana Kobakhidze, the Swedish Ambassador to Georgia Martina Quick, the US Ambassador to Georgia Richard Norland, the Head of Gender Justice Rusudan Kervalishvili, as well as representatives of the Parliament, Government, political parties of Georgia, CSOs and diplomatic corps accredited in Georgia and local international organizations have attended the conference

Kakheti. The Telavi Civic Engagement Center has organized a discussion on the Women beyond decisions and economic empowerment of women. Meeting participants have discussed women's political participation and lobbying of their issues. The meeting aimed to examine gender aspects of an electoral system in Georgia and the internal party democracy, which do not create competitive environment for candidate women. At the end of the meeting the audience watched the documentary shot by the "TASO" Foundation - "At Home and Backwards", followed by a discussion.

Guria. Schoolchildren of the Lanchkhuti Leaders' School functioning with the "Young Teachers' Union" have celebrated the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Pupils have organized sort of a conference and read essays written especially for this day. Each of them described an individual case and facts. Schoolchildren have invited to the meeting a special guest - one of their school's Resource Officers - who has briefed children about the subject, followed by a discussion. The event has ended in the school yard with a rally.

Tbilisi. The Women Foundation has announced the Kato Mikeladze prize winner on November 28. This time the annual prize went to the Head of the "TASO" Foundation, Marina Tabukashvili. The event was a part of the campaign against gender violence. The Kato Mikeladze prize is awarded to women human rights activists. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. The Public Defender released a statement regarding the International Women Human Rights Defenders Day. "We should not forget immense contribution that women’s rights defenders bring to development of democratic countries, establishment of principles of justice and equality. It is not easy to defend rights of others, to be active and to fight for equality if you face fear and pressure during your work and when you become a social outcast". For the full text Source: ombudsman.ge  

Tbilisi. A discussion on the "State of inmate women in Georgia" was organized on November 28 at the initiative of international organization "Penal Reform International". Participants have discussed the status of inmate women's rights in prisons, challenges in the context of the current and few past years, and ensuring inmate women's healthcare, protection from discrimination and access to justice. Discussion participants: Inga Sarjveladze - Deputy Head of the Social Service Unit of the Penitentiary Department; Irina Gabunia - representative of the "Penal Reform International"; Manana Purtskhvanidze - representative of the "Anti-Violence Network of Georgia"; Ana Arganashvili - representative of "Partnership for Human Rights". Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. A meeting was held on November 25 as part of the UN Women’s HeForShe campaign, which was launched on September 20 in New York by the UN Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson. HeForShe campaign engages men and boys in the solidarity movement to achieve equality. At the meeting, by giving a written pledge, the US Ambassador Richard Norland, Chairman of the Parliament Davit Usupashvili and the Public Defender have joined the HeForShe campaign with President Obama, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and 194,000 men all over the world. Currently there are 153 men registered from Georgia. Follow the link and join Source: the page of the US Embassy in the social network.

The rally – "Violence Against Women is a Crime – Stop It” – was held on November 25 across 23 cities Georgian cities, organized by the "Women Movement”. Apart from rallying, the participants were signing the petition describing urgent steps that the authorities must be making to stop violence against women. The world is celebrating the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25. On the same day, a 16-day international campaign will be launched against gender violence, aimed at raising public awareness and demonstrating solidarity towards victims of gender violence The petition Source: the organization’s page in the social network.

Tbilisi. The Public Defender released a statement with regards to the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women. "It is vitally important to exert every effort to prevent violence against women, to protect and help possible victims. It is necessary that state authority bodies use all existing leverage to stop the violence. The Public should break its silence and loudly declare that violence against women is a dangerous offense for the society", says the statement. For the full text Source: ombudsman.ge  

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association has released a statement on the 16-day active campaign against gender violence. In parallel to taking an active part in the campaign, GYLA continues the free legal aid program for women victims of violence, as well as advocating the idea of women equality. To raise public awareness and civil education on violence and discrimination against women, GYLA will hold events in the organization’s offices in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi, Ozurgeti, Zugdidi, Telavi, Gori, Rustavi and Dusheti. As part of the campaign, public meetings are planned with representatives of the local authorities, law-enforcement agencies, media, non-governmental sector, schools and the higher education institutions. For the full text Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Women's Movement was presented in the Frontline Club on November 17. "Women's Movement is neither a political party nor a CSO or a charity fund, but a movement uniting all individuals who care about gender equality, women's rights and who are extremely alarmed about at least 25 femicides during the year, frequent domestic violence and permanent oppressing of women in Georgia", says the organization's page in the social network. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

"Journalist Network for Gender Equality" is opening gender media centers in 8 cities of Georgia. Centers will be headed by leading media outlets operating in the regions and their representatives. Gender media centers are being opened as part of the project "Together for Gender Equality", implemented by the "Journalist Network for Gender Equality" with support of the Center of Electoral Systems Development, Reforms and Training. For the full text. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Women's movement to stop violence against women will be launched on November 25, at 13:00 in various cities of Georgia. On this day, rallies will be held in 14 cities of Georgia. "We, all together and individually can change the current situation. Let's not turn a blind eye to violence against women", the information disseminated by organizers states. For the full text. Source: the Women's Movement.

Tbilisi. The organization "Young Barristers” appeals to the Government of Georgia, "in preparation of the strategy against domestic violence, to make priority the creation of shelters for victims of violence in almost all regions of Gerogia and objectively review the applications of the victim status recipients, which, in 2013-2014, reached a high statistics". For the full text Source: barristers.ge  

Tbilisi. Through Radio "Chocolate" and regional partner radios (Hereti, Old City, Adjara Radio), the Heinrich Boll Foundation offers to the audience the radio project "50 Women from Georgia". The audience will hear about women who lived in the 19th and 20th centuries and created Georgian culture and Georgian politics. Radio "Chocolate" will broadcast the program "50 Women from Georgia" on a daily basis. Source: web page of the Heinrich Boll Foundation in the social network.

Kakheti. At the initiative of the Civic Engagement Center, a round table titled "No to Violence! No to Femicide!" was organized in Telavi on October 30. The meeting aimed to have the organizations working on women's issues develop a joint action plan and secure citizen participation in the implementation of the plan. Representatives of the Telavi Gender Equality Club, CSOs and international organizations and human rights activists have attended the meeting. Maia Purtskhvanidze, Telavi Civic Engagement Center: "It is crucial to raise public awareness on violence, the society must discuss the causes of recent frequent violence against women and increased femicide, as well as effective ways of their prevention". At the meeting the appeal to other organizations working on women's issues was drafted in order to form a joint working group and develop an action plan.