Women initiative groups, organized by the Fund "Sukhumi" are actively involved in advocacy for the problems of IDP women, conflict-affected women, as well as citizens living near the conflict line.
They have a systematic dialogue with local authorities, structures on IDP issues, local and international non-governmental organizations. For the given moment, international organizations have become the "target" of the group members.
Nona Bukia, the leader of the women initiative group of the village Khurcha (Zugdidi municipality), had an opportunity to talk to the UN Resident Coordinator in Georgia Sabina Mahl, who met with representatives of local NGOs, IDP women and conflict-affected women in Anaklia.
The participants of the meeting discussed the problems of women, peace and security, Resolution 1325, localization of 2018-2020 National Action Plan, the involvement of women IDPs and women affected by the conflict in decision-making, peacekeeping and security processes.
Here is an interesting travel for you. You have never seen or heard of such a thing before.
Traveling online - as it corresponds to Covid pandemic.
Follow us…
The first station –Lanchkhuti official web page http://lanchkhuti.gov.ge/
Take a look to the right of the screen. Everything seems to be familiar in the list, but there is one different name: electronic manager https://lcman.ge/
This is precisely the innovation that we must tell you about - a unique web application that has no analogue in Georgia (and not only). It was created especially for Lanchkhuti. The author of the application is Amiran Gigineishvili - radio engineer, programmer, designer, researcher, economist, PR specialist.
Mr. Amiran is a member of Lanchkhuti City Council and a member of the board of the Local Governments Association of Georgia. He has many years of working experience in civil society organizations, participated in more than 40 trainings in the USA and various European countries. At the moment he is the chairman of the "Georgian Rural Hall" http://www.darbazi.org.ge/
Violence victim faces many problems.
It is not a secret that the state can offer only temporary shelter and legal responsibility for the rapist. After leaving the shelter, the victim, with the minor children, is in the hardest situation and the friendship network is vital for her. It gives her a feeling of more or less stability and security.
The Fund “Sukhumi” has always expressed an idea of multidisciplinary cooperation and coordination in order to respond to the problem of violence against women and domestic violence. Number of round tables, information meetings or civil forums were held, permanently emphasizing proper coordination and consolidation of resources in the field of violence prevention, especially in direction of victim assistance.
The Fund "Sukhumi" has established the following model - a non-formal group is successfully functioning. It is conditionally called the social partners network for victim assistance.
It includes: specialists of social directions of the fund, psychologist, lawyer; social service structures of local self-government, especially the Department for the Protection of Children’s Rights;
Mother left her with acquaintances and disappeared. She grew up without love. She was a victim of bullying, she got married at 15, but was not happy, the husband was rapist. It was the final drop, when her husband almost killed her with an axe… she decided to ask for help and run away with two children. So, she appeared in the shelter. Then she was addressed to the Fund "Sukhumi", passed psycho-rehabilitation, professional courses. Fund "Sukhumi" managed to rent a flat, helped to solve living, health and employment problems. Then was Covid-19… she was immediately taken to the clinic and her children - to the children’s center. Now they are together again. In general, after the shelter, the victim is in difficult situation and needs partner network to feel stability and security. Fund “Sukhumi” created social partners’ network including Fund’s psychologist and lawyer, lawyer of shelter, children’s rights department and social workers. The "Network" meets periodically, summarizes the work, plans activities for the safety and social integration of the victim. The pilot of the “network” turned out to be successful.
“I am passionate about contributing to a peaceful, just, and progressive society, in which women, together with men, are able to make a difference through their activism. I firmly believe that peace and security cannot be sustained unless women have an equal and active role in political, economic, and social policy formulation.”
This is an excerpt from Ekaterina Gamakharia's speech.
On March 25 Ekaterine Gamakharia, Head of the Tbilisi office of the Fund "Sukhumi", participated in an online discussion, held within the framework of the 65th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65).
In her speech, Ekaterine spoke about the devastating impact of the pandemic, revealed as a result of the rapid response research carried out by the Fund "Sukhumi", as well as about the economic situation of IDPs and conflict-affected women. She stressed the role of women and their participation in policy-making, which plays a critical role in overcoming the crisis.
These 12 children live in Saberio and study in Georgian school of Pakhulani (Tsalenjikha Municipality). Saberio and Pakhulani are the villages on both sides of Abkhazian conflict dividing line, which was closed during pandemic.Education was continued remotely. 12 children became isolated, as they didn’t have telephone, internet. Situation in families became tense due to conflict and violence.
Pakhulani Women Initiative Group (WIG) identified this problem. Advocacy was successfully finished: Fund "Sukhumi" found an opportunity, gave smartphones to children, paid money for the Internet.
Advocacy was continued at the central level. According to decision of the Ministry of Education of Georgia, children living in Saberio were given the opportunity to use available internet and 12 pupils continue to study remotely.
The beginning, as it often happens, was difficult.
The public administration reform was considered less important in the municipality... but the more they got familiarized with the information, the better it was shown what should be done.
The most important thing, that was done in Vani municipality:
The Code of Ethics for self-government public officials was developed and approved!
Vani Municipality is the first, among the municipalities of Western Georgia in this direction.
The document was prepared by the working group, established within the framework of the Fund “Sukhumi” project “A common forum for CSOs from Guria, Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi for PAR Roadmap monitoring”.
This is the first successful result of cooperation with Kobuleti local self-government!
It all started like this:
The Fund "Sukhumi" has been cooperating with the Gender Equality Councils of local self-governments since the day of their creation. Kobuleti municipality was included in this list in 2019. It was the only one, out of 11 municipalities, that did not have a single program to assist violence victims.
The advocacy and monitoring group and Tbilisi representative office of the Fund "Sukhumi" started active work to develop the program.
I learned, I understood, I realized, now I can - these are the words of adolescents after our workshops.
These words express changes in their character, behavior, attitudes.
That was our goal: to teach these girls and boys...
"Teaching Conflict Management in Schools" - this is the name of the methodology, with which Larisa (Lela) Shengelia, conflict expert of the Fund “Sukhumi” is guided.
The rule is following: a group of 10-15 students is selected at school - mostly seventh-ninth graders. A workshop is held with the group once a month on various topics: what is conflict, stages of conflict, conflict resolution at an early stage, etc.