Tbilisi. On March 21, 2021, a TV story was aired on Mtavari Channel about alleged secret recordings of private life, including those showing the life of politician Ana Dolidze. “The victims of the release of secret recordings of private life or the threats relating to the release of such recordings are mainly female politicians in Georgia. This practice is used as a systemic tool of violence against women involved in public and political processes, in order to oppress and silence them. The Public Defender condemns the practice of illegal interference with the private life by the State, expresses solidarity with all victims and calls on the State to take convincing steps”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association responds to a story broadcasted through the program “Post Factum” on the TV Company “Mtavari”. “A respondent Ivane Gulashvili states that he was an employee of the state security and, on the order of high-ranking officials, used to install recording devices for covert surveillance in residential houses of public figures or various technical equipment. GYLA condemns unlawful encroachment on private life. Extends its support to Ana Dolidze and all victims of unlawful covert surveillance. At the same time, we note that in Georgia, there is painful experience of publicizing personal life footage, obtained through covert surveillance in the recent past, and it entails consequences. This fact requires timely, impartial and effective investigation to be carried out by relevant state agencies”. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. The Women’s Movement responds to information broadcasted through the air of TV Company Mtavari on March 21 by Ivane Gulashvili, a former employee of the State Security Service, who is currently in custody. “In an interview with a journalist, Ivane Gulashvili talked about possible covert surveillance of Ana Dolidze, a female politician. Sadly, we remember moral terror perpetrated against a number of politically active women and attempts to oust them from public life. We note that similar unlawful practices have developed into systemic violence in the country. Manipulating or disclosing private, including sexual life of a woman is the most brutal method of ousting women from politics, as well as discrediting and marginalizing them. We call on the investigative body to launch an investigation, interrogate all people who may be involved in the unlawful surveillance of Ana Dolidze, and use all available resources to prevent spreading of personal life footage. We express our full solidarity with Ana Dolidze and urge the international community to respond respectively”, - is noted in the statement. Read more... Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes a video story: Women’s work – indoor and outdoor. “Women in Georgia spend three times more time on family affairs than men. Nadi tradition is still preserved in Zemo Adjara. Mutual aid was initially based on the principle of voluntary assistance, without any obligations or remuneration. Women share work with each other for free”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. EWMI-PROLoG is appalled by the threats and abuse of women human rights defenders that has taken enormous scale in recent days. „Women activists have been particularly persistent and committed, despite often having it harder than their male counterparts. The bullying and threats that they get is further exacerbated by the gender-motivated and specific overtones. We have been supporting defenders of human rights, including the rights of women and children, for years, and we are very proud of the work and achievements of our partners over the years. We believe that this hard, tireless and often unappreciated work and dedication is what drives progress by way of restoring rights and dignity of those who have been wronged. We stand by the brilliant women lawyers of PHR, Sapari and other partner organizations and offer our support”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) expresses its solidarity with women human rights defenders. “We would like to express our solidarity with women human rights defenders, who became targets of extraordinary aggression and attack after the victory gained by Nikoloz Basilashvili, a Georgian tennis player, in one of the tournaments. The fact was followed by a campaign of organized aggression on social media against both non-governmental organizations and human rights defenders, and it took place due to their public stance in regard to the case of domestic violence proceeded against the tennis player. Targeted attack, carried out on gender grounds against women human rights defenders indicates ingrained misogynistic attitudes within society and hinders the process of public disclosure of facts of violence”, - is noted in the statement. Read more… Source:isfed.ge

Tbilisi. An online training course has been developed on sexual and reproductive health and rights of women with psychosocial needs through cooperation between the Public Defender of Georgia, UNFPA Georgia Office and Tbilisi State Medical University. “The innovative course will help certified doctors working in the field of obstetrics-gynecology and psychiatry deepen their knowledge in the direction of health management of women with psychosocial needs, their rights and the commitments undertaken by the State”. Read more… Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Tbilisi office of the South Caucasus Regional Bureau of the Heinrich Boell Foundation presents an article by Lika Jalagania on voice of women and power of listener. “The collective violence, committed against Nini in Kobuleti, should certainly be pointing out the problem of survival discourse. If we survive a man, there will always appear someone and something condemning our being a victim due to their insistence to stay safe. However, our survival will cause disappointment if we do not follow rules of a proposed game. The family of Nini survived through “atonement of guilt” because what we are demanded to do is to demonstrate weakness – be a passive victim who bases “lost dignity” self-description on infallible evidences of sacred victimhood”. Read more… Source:feminism-boell.org

To start your own business is not always easy. Especially if it is your duty to take care of home, children and parents, if nobody supports you, and it is often unclear where to start doing things from. There are quite a lot of international programs that help women start their own business, acquire an education and protect their own economic rights. How to find out about all this? It is often difficult to find the information you need. The EU Eastern Neighborhood program combines all ongoing EU projects that help women develop their business.

Tbilisi. On March 10, 2021, the Public Defender’s Office, in cooperation with UN Women and with the support of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held an online presentation assessing Georgia's international obligations relating to gender mainstreaming and presented a study conducted by the Public Defender’s Office. “The study made it clear that despite the progress made in recent years in the direction of gender equality, the country's gender policy fails to increase women's political participation or coordinate the work of state agencies in response to violence against women and domestic violence, or to prevent the cases of femicide. Implementing and monitoring gender mainstreaming in national policy and budgeting also remains a problem”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Over the next month, USAID Georgia will share the stories of women who are breaking down barriers in Georgian society. If you live in Tbilisi, be sure to visit our photo installation at the entrance to Vake Park. You can see the portraits of women who are smashing stereotypes and voice your own opinion on women’s empowerment. When you visit, post a photo with the installation and tag the women who have inspired you! And remember to use the campaign hashtag: #SmashingStereotypes. You can also visit photo installations in Batumi, Kutaisi, and Telavi".  Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes an article by Giga Karapetyan and Ani Gogberashvili: “Women street traders and the pandemic: Fighting for daily needs”. "In this context, our research article is an attempt to analyze social and economic dimensions of street trading straight from the perspective of women street traders. For the article, we conducted ten interviews with women street traders self-employed in Gori and Tbilisi. Most of them are pensioners and are considered to be the main breadwinners in their families”, - is stated in the article. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association publishes an appraisal in regard to women rights related situation. “March 8, International Women’s Day, has been a date to mark fight for equality of women for years. In a patriarchal society, women and girls appear in an unequal position, gender-based violence takes place more frequently, work of women is underestimated, while the role of a woman is diminished. To fulfil its commitments, made upon ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the so-called Istanbul Convention), Georgia has taken various measures in recent years so as to ensure equality of women and protect them from violence. Despite taken steps forward, the issue of gender equality still remains a problem and requires to have the state work on many aspects”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. GIP is joining the International Women’s Day Celebration and launching a week-long social media campaign under the framework of the project “Promoting Youth Transformational Leaders in Georgia". The campaign aims at raising awareness about the issues related to gender equality and to promote women’s social-political engagement in Georgia. For that matter, we are excited to share with you the powerful stories of some of our female participants of Emerging Leaders School #ELS2021, who strive to make meaningful impact and positive changes in their communities.  Each day until March 8 we will manifest their contribution as change-makers and hope you enjoy and get inspired. The initiative - Emerging Leaders School (ELS) is being implemented within the framework of the project “Promoting Youth Transformational Leaders in Georgia” by Georgian Institute of Politics (GIP)with the financial support of USAID/Georgia. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. There will be conducted a webinar on: Gender dimensions of disinformation in the field of elections, politics and digital information, organized by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). Time: February 24, 2021, at 17:00 Tbilisi time. Please register at the link: Read more… Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. According to information released by “Rights Georgia”, on February 8, 2021, the European Commission started consultations aiming at attaining information on measures taken by EU member states to eliminate gender-based violence against women and domestic violence. “Via conducting meetings the Commission intends to obtain relevant information in order to be able to improve its work on issues related to coordinated prevention and protection against violence. Those willing to participate in consultation have to get registered and filled out an online questionnaire”, - is stated on the website of the organization in a social network. Read more… Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. “Rights Georgia” launches an important project in partnership with the Public Defender. “Rights Georgia”, together with Goga Khatiashvili, an expert, is going to monitor process of interrogation of women, victims of violence, in closed court hearings. Read more... Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Georgian Women’s Movement launches a lengthy campaign on the case of a 14-year-old dead girl #NinisGamo (DueToNini) Read more…

Tbilisi. Civil society organizations express their concern regarding a hardest case of suicide of a 14-year-old girl in Kobuleti Municipality and call on state agencies to investigate the incident in a timely manner. “Within the framework of the investigation, there should be examined responsibilities of all possible bodies/officials that had an obligation to support the victim as well as to carry out an investigation in the crime committed against her.  This case demonstrates hardest social practices of violence against women as well as signs of criminal indifference and inefficiency of police and social institutions. Despite numerous tragic cases of juvenile suicide, the state has not shown its willingness to make radical changes in existing policies, it pays insufficient attention to development and implementation of a suicide prevention strategy in general. The system remains extremely indifferent in terms of elaboration of an adolescent care policy as well as social and psychological support mechanisms”, - is noted in the joint statement. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Due to the information of UN Women the pandemic of violence against women is not new. But the #COVID19 crisis has intensified it, while accessing help became harder. See how you can support survivors... Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. The Heinrich Boell Foundation presents a study carried out by Ana Lolua, which touches upon representation of women in exhibitions held in Georgia during the late socialist period and dedicated to the Second World War.  “This article contains an analysis of forms and meanings of representation of women in exhibitions dedicated to the Great Patriotic War and held within the period from the end of the 60s to the beginning of the 80s, on the examples of the exhibition of the Peoples Friendship Museum dedicated to the Great Patriotic War and the permanent exhibition of the Gori Museum of Battle Glory”. Read more… Source: feminism-boell.org

Tbilisi. Female Experts to be Employed in Regional Departments of Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau following Public Defender’s Recommendation.  “The Public Defender welcomes the readiness of Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau to comply with the Public Defender's recommendation and employ female experts in the regional departments of the Bureau in order to create an equal and dignified environment for female victims of sexual violence, as well as to conduct training for the staff of Tbilisi and regional offices on the psychological aspects of proper communication with victims of sexual violence”, - is mentioned in the information the Public Defender’s office spared.  Read more…   Source: The web-page of the organization