Problems, advocacy of which is possible at the local level –– these issues were discussed at a meeting organized by the Women Initiative Group. Representatives of Orsantia (Zugdidi municipality) participated in it, and the project moderator joined online.

According to the participants, civil society should be activated even more in order to deliver the problems of the community to local self-government, in order to make it possible to advocate and solve them.

The issue of land registration and prices associated with it; individual problems caused by job loss; close people who stayed on the territory of Gali region, and cannot receive pensions – during an online meeting these and other issues were emotionally discussed by women, living in the village Shamgona (Zugdidi municipality). They try to advocate these problems.

Number of problems has been solved as a result of the activities of Women Initiative Group in the village Khurcha (Zugdidi municipality). After the coronavirus pandemic, new problems arose that made the population uncomfortable.

During an online meeting, participants discussed individual and collective problems, and the ways of their solution. The initiative group will try to advocate the problems in cooperation with local government.

During the online meeting with women in the village Kakhati (Zugdidi municipality), the advocacy plan that would address priority issues was discussed.

“We women have become very inert, always waiting for someone to come and solve our problem.” We ourselves must be active in order to deliver our voice to the government”, the participants noted.

The women's initiative group has already started the advocacy process, which includes community activists.

With the efforts of the Fund "Sukhumi" Women Initiative Group another problem was solved. After advocacy, in the IDP community of the village Kakhati (Zugdidi municipality), the sewer system was cleaned. The identification of this problem was held at an information meeting.

In cooperation with the local self-government, the advocacy process was continued promptly and the problem that caused the risks of infection of citizens has already been resolved.

Women initiative groups of the Fund “Sukhumi” actively continue advocacy of problems that were identified as a result of informational meetings and surveys in villages near the conflict line. Working meetings in the online format have already been held with group moderators, and prior issues have been identified. Community members will be included in the discussion of the advocacy plan. The list also contains long-term problems, and, accordingly, advocacy will be continued at the level of municipalities and ministries.

- Problems that particularly concern women living near the conflict-dividing line was the main topic of an online meeting with women from Shamgona (Zugdidi municipality). The participants were interested in information regarding a rapid assessment carried out by the Fund “Sukhumi”, which analyzed the effect of isolation due to COVID-19 on women.

During the discussion, participants noted that in the current situation a heavy family burden fell on women's shoulders. Despite this, they are ready to work actively to overcome the problems faced by their families due to the state of emergency.

“There are no big and small problems for us, all the problems are important and we want to work harder to solve them,” noted the women at an online meeting that was held to identify problems. The meeting participants spoke about the problems that exist in the community of the village Orsantia - Zugdidi municipality. They believe that they can be solved with the support of the local self-government.

An ordinary online meeting was held In the village Khurcha (Zugdidi municipality). The participants got acquainted with the results of a quick research prepared by the Fund “Sukhumi”: what are the dangers for women due to COVID 19. It was noted that the psychological background is further aggravated on the conflict separation line. They talked about the problems existing in the community and the need to solve them.

Fund "Sukhumi" continues to work in the villages near the conflict line. The aim of these meetings is to identify the problems that exist in the communities. One of the meetings was held with a group of women activists in the villages Kakhati (Zugdidi municipality).

Social problems, poor infrastructure, accommodation for IDPs - the meeting participants mainly focused on these issues. The work will continue with the advocacy of the raised questions.