The next meeting was held with members of the “Municipal Interdepartmental Commission on the Prevention of Violence against Women and/or Domestic Violence, Protection and Assistance to Victims of Violence” of Vani City Hall. Participants got acquainted with the civil initiative that will be implemented under the topic “Break the silence - stop the violence!”

In frames of the initiative, representatives of the Mayor and employees of rural outpatient clinics will be informed about issues of violence. They will be provided with information about services available at the central and local levels. The importance of the Interdepartmental Commission as a response mechanism will be particularly emphasized.

These meetings will help the Commission move its work into a more active phase - in terms of considering specific cases and responding to them.

The project is implemented with the support the Equality Fund (Canada)

An ordinary meeting of the municipal Interdepartmental Commission was held in Bagdati. Members of the commission discussed the plan of activities that will be held in frames of the civil initiative. These activities will increase the awareness of the commission, which is necessary for its targeted work – for reviewing cases and responding to them in a timely manner.

The planned activities include increasing the involvement of representatives of the Mayor of the municipality, managers of preschool educational institutions and youth. All this is important for the effective functioning of the commission, for the timely identification and prevention of domestic violence.

The project is implemented with the support the Equality Fund (Canada)

The monitoring group continues a cycle of information meetings with vulnerable groups. The ordinary meeting was held in Vani municipality. The meeting participants were informed about the mechanisms existing in the country to assist and empower victims of violence. Information about local government programs, especially about the family empowerment program was very important for them. The program exists in the department for the protection of children’s rights and their assistance.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

During a working meeting of the interdepartmental commission of Chokhatauri City Hall, the details of the ideas of civil initiatives were summarized and the authoritative persons were selected.

It was decided to conduct “Positive Parenting Training” and women’s needs research in Chokhatauri municipality. City hall structures, representatives of the educational sphere, active citizens will be involved in implementation of the initiatives.

The project is implemented with the support the Equality Fund (Canada)

“Creating a network, defining the principles of the network and prospects for the future” - an online meeting of the network was held on this topic. It was attended by active leaders of women and girls from the IDP communities of Kutaisi, Khoni and Tskaltubo.

Project assistants assessed the work done and talked about the challenges. The speeches included information about the need to support women and strengthen partnerships.

During the next panel, the women who participated in the meeting emphasized the importance of the skills acquired during the trainings. They believe that participation in the project is a new opportunity for them to advocate for issues identified in their communities.

The work is carried out in partnership with the Center “Abkhazeti” within the framework of the project “Support of the conflict transformation in the South Caucasus and Moldova”.

Informing more than 150 beneficiaries about preventive mechanisms and support services for victims of violence, identifying ten new crisis families and preparing individual plans to work with them, two rehabilitated families, stories of five women who improved their condition after the work with a psychologist, new gender needs identified in different communities - such indicators appeared in the reports of Women Support Centers for February.

Mobilizers of the Centers actively continue to cooperate with families in crisis situations so that they receive all the necessary services and improve their situation. In response to the challenges identified in different communities, an advocacy process has already begun and will continue with the participation of community activists.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

During the meetings of Vani Women Support Center, women who have many challenges come together and everyone works r to solve these problems. At one of the meetings, women expressed a desire to learn to sew.

In response to their challenge, the Women Fund “Sukhumi” opened cutting and sewing courses in Vani, as well as in some other municipalities. The teacher is Maka Dadunashvili, one of the activists of the Womes Support Center. The Fund “Sukhumi” purchased sewing machines, cloths, threads and everything necessary for normal education. Now it's the women's turn...

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

Ukrainians who are associated with us receive various types of assistance. Their total number now is 398 (20 people have been added since the beginning of the year).

In February, 55 food vouchers were issued to 37 families. Our organization helped two families with paying utility bills and 6 families with renting an apartment. As in previous months, expenses for telephone calls, medicines and medical procedures were reimbursed. In connection with all this, people who came from Ukraine express gratitude to the Women Fund “Sukhumi”.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

The Women Fund “Sukhumi” has published a “Practical Guide for Responding to Gender-Based Violence for Representatives of Medical Institutions.” The aim of the guide is to provide medical workers, including doctors and nurses who have direct contact with patients, with information and tools that will help them to response to gender-based violence, in a timely, comprehensive and multi-sector way.

The practical guide includes the following issues:

- General information about violence against women and domestic violence;

- International and national standards for responding to gender-based violence from the side of representatives of medical institutions;

- The role of medical staff in responding to gender-based violence;

- Appropriate strategies, steps and recommendations to effectively respond to gender-based violence by medical staff;

- The importance of multi-sector collaboration in effectively responding to violence against women.

The project is implemented with the support the Equality Fund (Canada)

Trainer Rusudan Karkadze conducted a training session on the topic of misinformation for young people from Kutaisi, Tskaltubo and Zugdidi, in the office of the Women Fund “Sukhumi”.

The following issues were discussed: media literacy, digital instruments, misinformation, cyber-bullying. Participants acquired practical skills in distinguishing fake information from real one, various specific methods of combating misinformation and how to use them in everyday life. They got acquainted with various web pages and worked on an interesting online test to better understand the essence of misinformation.

The training participants filled out questionnaires on the basis of which they will be selected for involvement in peacekeeping activities.