For 16 days, the Facebook page of the Women Fund "Sukhumi" almost "exploded" with news, photos, videos...
Everything began at one meeting...
When talking about the 16-day campaign at a meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission for the Prevention of Violence against Women of the Senaki Municipality, Darejan Zarandia, the head of the educational resource center, expressed her desire to train teachers as trainers so that they can carry out activities in their schools.
If only there were initiatives and... Women Fund "Sukhumi" is always ready to help.
On November 18, a training on the topic “Conducting meetings on issues of violence” was held at the Resource Center. There were 26 teachers from the city and the municipality villages - teachers of Georgian and foreign languages, mathematics, physical education, music, civic education and other subjects from the schools of Menji, Eka, Teklati, Gejheti, Akhalsopeli, Dzveli Senaki and others.
Together with the trainer Lali Shengelia, the participants discussed many issues: femicide, violence against women, referral mechanisms, including necessary phone numbers, shelters, municipal services and support from the Fund “Sukhumi”. They also got acquainted with our web page "Digital Resource Center for Violence Victims".http://sosfsokhumi.ge/
An information meeting was held in the school of the village Didinedzi (Zugdidi municipality), where the teachers of schools and kindergartens participated. The participants of the meeting got acquainted with the research of the Women Fund "Sukhumi", in particular, with the monitoring of the work of the Departments for the Protection of Children's Rights and their Support. Particular emphasis was placed on the services, achievements and existing challenges of the Children's Departments of 10 municipalities, which were identified as a result of the research.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
The Social Justice Center carried out two research presentations: "Places of two-way omission - legal and social challenges in Gali and Akhalgori" and "Challenges and needs of women living close to the dividing lines". The event was attended by the representatives of international, local civil society organizations and state agencies, as well as the head of the Tbilisi representative office of Fund “Sukhumi”. In her speech, Ekaterine Gamakharia focused on the most topical challenges and needs of women living along the Administrative Boundary Lines, including their difficult economic and social situation, unemployment and obstacles for access to the economic activities and finances, problems of free movement along the dividing line, issues of domestic violence against women, etc.
- Actions, workshops, informational meetings, discussion of films on the topic of violence, exhibition of children's paintings - this is the list of events initiated by the Women Support Centers within the framework of the 16-day campaign against gender-based violence.
- What was identified, what was shown, what needs to be done? - the results of the activities answer these questions.
According to the mobilizers of the Centers, the society is informed about the 16-day campaign, which is a step forward. All age segments expressed desire of their personal participation.
During the meetings, it was mentioned that the facts of femicide are alarming and more effective changes are needed in terms of responding to the problems of domestic violence and improving services. Their proposals stated the need to increase the responsibility of the state and society in terms of violence prevention.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly C. Degnan attended the presentation of the Women Fund “Sukhumi” project in Kutaisi. The meeting was held at the office of the project partner - the Association "Peaceful and Business Caucasus" with the participation of representatives of USAID and the US Embassy in Georgia.
The Women Fund "Sukhumi" and the Association "Peaceful and Business Caucasus" presented the results of the USAID project, achieved during the two-year work.
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly C. Degnan thanked the project representatives for their good and important work in strengthening the capacity of civil society, developing economic and medical directions, for helping to restore confidence and strengthen lasting peace.
During the meeting, gratitude was expressed to the US Embassy for almost the first serious support to the Fund “Sukhumi”, which made it possible to strengthen the organization and create a good background. Subsequently, the Embassy repeatedly financed important project proposals of the Fund "Sukhumi" to support and protect women's rights.
The project is implemented with the support of the USAID
In the framework of the global 16-day campaign against gender-based violence, the monitoring group of the Women Fund "Sukhumi" held an information meeting in the school of the village Etseri (Terjola municipality), which was attended by teachers and upper graders.
The meeting focused on the importance of the problem of violence and the timeliness of the response. The participants got acquainted with the monitoring results of the work of departments for the protection of children's rights and their support. There was a conversation about the services, achievements and tasks of the department. It was revealed that many people do not know about the departments, so it is necessary to disseminate information. It was considered important that departments have the resources to empower vulnerable families.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
The Human Rights Protection and Investigation Quality Monitoring Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia (MIA) held a meeting with the Task Force on Ending Violence against Women and Girls (Task Force on EVAWG). Representatives of the international, non-governmental organizations working on EVAWG and the Public Defender's Office of Georgia also participated in the workshop. They discussed the outcome of the activities carried out in combating domestic violence and/or violence against women in recent years, the existing challenges and ways forward. The meeting was held with the initiative of the MIA, in cooperation with UN Women, within the framework of the UN Joint Programme "For Gender Equality" supported by Sweden.
In her speech, Linda Chikhladze focused on the need for additional child care services for the economic empowerment of women, and on the importance of early implementation of programs to correct the behavior of perpetrators for the effective prevention of violence against women.
Manana Pipia is packing bags for Ukrainians with delight. This is her job in the Fund „Sukhumi“. She buys everything herself and puts a lot of necessary things in each bag: rice, buckwheat, oil, butter, eggs, sour cream, milk, sweets, sugar, coffee, tea, tomato, vegetables, chicken, shampoo, powders, soap, dishwashing liquid, napkins... When she finds out that there are children in the family, additional items appear in the bag: diapers, baby food, yogurt. She buys medicine for someone, someone needs glasses, someone needs slippers or a warm blanket ... Then these gifts "go" to Tkibuli, Senaki, Chkhorotsku, Lanchkhuti... Those who live in Kutaisi or in its vicinity come to our office and Manana herself gives them gifts. She also takes pictures of them. Nobody refuses. Look how beautiful they are. They have gone through a lot of pain, the end of their pain is not finished yet, but they are still smiling. - Someone comes to our office alone, someone with children. Couples and families come. They leave us very satisfied, says Manana Pipia. “Everything we provide them is enough for a couple of months. They are surprised, they say how much we do. This is not a single assistance, we distribute it to the same family several times. Ukrainians say that no one helps them like this and they are very grateful. I am also happy when I see their smiling faces...
5 people spent 10 November days in our rehabilitation center - three elderly women and two grandchildren of one of the grandmothers. Everyone tried to create family comfort in the center - delicious dinners were prepared for the guests. A social worker, a lawyer and a psychologist were actively involved in the process of women's rehabilitation and a teacher worked with the children. The work was carried out in direction of traumas, fears, resentment, stress and self-esteem.
The women shared their impressions:
- I have been to many places in my life, but I have never felt such a warm attitude anywhere, the advice of a psychologist is very important to me. Thank you so much for being so attentive and kind.
- Elderly people need warmth. There is a lot of warmth here - especially warm human attitude. Everyone helps, smiles, tries to please you. My soul is rejuvenated and renewed.
- For many years I suffered from psychological abuse from family members. And only now I realized that I need to love myself - that's how I was taught here and I will live by this principle.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
Brother and sister, doctors from Ukraine. They faced the horrors of war and miraculously survived. In September they arrived from Kharkov to Kutaisi. Their parents worked here as military doctors, they finished from school in Kutaisi, they have friends and acquaintances here.
They told psychologist Manana Gotsiridze that they still wake up from the voice of a siren, a harbinger of death.
“It is hard to imagine whether our city will return its former beauty. Almost all residential buildings were destroyed In Kharkov. There are a lot of stones, glass, iron everywhere... The inhabitants faced the second wave of psychosis when they realized that the war could go on for a long time. War is the fear that the enemy can rape, kill. This is a state of hopelessness. Even after it ends, it will affect the psychics of people for a long time.”
These are the words of our beneficiaries.
All feelings of Ukrainians are similar. Pain, anxiety... There is also some joys for the fact that some towns and villages are returning.