Ordinary meeting of Kutaisi GAC presented the participants information about the research of local gender needs. There were defined target groups of the research, functions and duties were allocated. After analyzing results of the focus-groups, in-depth interviews and inquiry, the GAC will elaborate recommendations and submit them to the local government for envisaging in the budget of next year.

In the next part of the meeting participants evaluated the conference, held in frames of the GAC project and spoke about activities, which are necessary to be held at the second phase of the project.

At the end of the meeting, representative of the city hall – Paata Kldiashvili presented the participants “Kutaisi Development Strategy”. Members of the GAC decided to be more actively involved in discussion of the document and establish gender components in separate activities.

 Kutaisi Gender Advisory Council (GAC) summarizes results of three-year activity: with this aim, a large-scale conference is held. At the meeting of the GAC there were discussed organizational issues, and a list of participants was compiled. The conference was attended by representatives of 12 administrative units of Kutaisi, as well as local authorities and media.

According to members of the GAC, the conference is a good arena to share their experience, to make a record, evaluate and present the positive results of achievements in the gender area.

Initiative group of Khoni continues the work in direction of advocacy problems. On February  there was held an ordinary meeting. The group members made advocacy plan, drafted the schedule, according which there was identified the eligibilities of each member. In frames of advocacy there were defined the visits to representatives of local self-government, as the problems may be solved through their inclusion and active cooperation with them.

The main topic of discussion, of the twenty-sixth session of the Gender Advisory Council of Senaki were the results of the research conducted by the GAC members regarding local gender needs. They presented brief reports on the research, noting the basic needs of the target groups.

There was also talk about the current project of the GAC carried out in 14 territorial units of Senaki municipality -   10 workshops were held with gender initiative groups established in the villages. The project is ongoing and the next phase will focus on the active involvement of rural youth in the process of prevention of domestic violence.

To firsthand see the results of the research and the process of implementation of a new project, journalists from our partner media were invited at the meeting - the newspaper "Kolkheti", TV "Egrisi" and radio "Dzveli kalaki" (Kutaisi). They spoke with members of the GAC, and in the near future, these activities will be publicized  in the media.

Human threats are perceived differently in the village Khurcha (Zugdidi Municipality), which is on the border with Abkhazia. This idea was strengthened at the round table, which was attended by women activists from the villages Koki Khurcha (Zugdidi Municipality) and Nayui96evi (Gali Municipality).

The meeting began with a presentation of the research of the fund "Sukhumi", which has been incorporated in a special publication.

Then, participants heard recommendations from from other towns. Women with special emotion were talking about social issues, health issues.

To their opinion, human threats are exacerbated in the villages of the conflict zone, and all parts of society must be mobilized to improve security level.

February 17 was a meeting of the Gender Advisory Council of Kutaisi, which was attended by members of the Club of Women-Voters. They have focused on the problems that have repeatedly been put to the clubs.

For the purpose of advocating these issues the GAC invited Malkhaz Basiladze - head of the commission for Infrastructure, Transport and cleaning. He spoke about the programs that provides Kutaisi local budget. Advocacy plan was scheduled, and members of the GAC will be involved in this process.

The second issue on the agenda was evaluation of the results of the network meeting organized by Fund "Sukhumi" on the part of MP. They noted that at the meeting they received information that implies responsibility and active work of the local self-government against violence.