Members of the Women Initiative Group of Kutaisi, Khoni, Tskaltubo, Senaki, Zugdidi - totally 45 people - attended the information meeting, which was held online.

The meeting participants got acquainted with the guide prepared by the network of European women WAVE: "Prevention and response to gender-based violence in war and post-war conditions - experience and recommendations of women’s NGOs"- https://wave-network. org/wp.../uploads/Toolkit-Georgian.pdf

Participants were provided with information about the perspective practices of the women’s organizations presented in the guide, about the strategies that they used in war and post-war period. Attention was focused on the practice of the Fund “Sukhumi”, which occupies an important place in the guide.

According to the meeting participants, the manual will significantly help the main actors responsible for creating security guarantees for women.

The project is implemented with the support of the Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights

In August, 15 meetings were organized by Women Support Centers, and more than 150 people were informed about available victim support services.

The work was actively carried out in all ten centers: Bagdati, Vani, Terjola, Samtredia, Senaki, Khurcha (Zugdidi municipality), Tsalenjikha, Khobi, Kobuleti and Chokhatauri.

The meeting participants talked about the direction in which work should be intensified to prevent the problem of violence. It was mentioned that the scope of informing the population should be expanded in the periphery and in this respect the role of non-governmental organizations should be increased.

The challenges also revealed the importance of educating women and involving them in economic empowerment programs.

Women Support Centers will continue to work, envisaging the identified problems. During the month, four new cases were identified. After analyzing the cases, a psychologist and a lawyer will be involved in the process.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

The psychologist of the Fund "Sukhumi" visited the Women Support Centers in Vani, Kobuleti and Pakhulani (Tsalenjikha municipality). The target groups of the meeting were women of different categories. Three meetings were held in a group format on the topic "Aggression and violence in the family." The participants spoke about the reasons and consequences of aggression in the family. Also about measures that can reduce aggression.

Two meetings were individual and were devoted to fears and phobias. Participants were given advice on how to overcome their fears.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

In August, the fifth training of the cycle of conflict management and violence prevention was held online.

Up to 200 young people from ten target municipalities of Western Georgia, members of youth empowerment centers, took part in the trainings. Participants of the trainings talked about the changes – how they felt before the training and how they feel now.

They noted that they have become more free, self-confident, sociable, tolerant, active. They have learned to see, identify and advocate concrete problems.

Their intellectual resources are already high in terms of resolving conflicts and contributing to the prevention of violence.

Conflict prevention is the main goal of conflict resolution and involves the strengthening of local youth peacekeeping resources. The five-month training course has revealed new faces, new leaders who will make presentations at the final meetings in September and talk about the changes and results achieved within the framework of the Women Fund “Sukhumi” project.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

With our help, Ukrainian teenagers from Kutaisi joined the American Spaces summer camp in Tskaltubo. Under the program “Sonyashnik”, with financial assistance of the US Embassy in Georgia, they were sent to the camp for 4 days. The children made friends with Georgian children and had a great time. Parents thanked us as we provide information that may be useful to them.

It is gratifying that one of our beneficiaries, Victorya Kravchenko, has completed a manicure course. And one organization issued grant to: Yulia Rezvan - for the equipment of a bakery, Ekaterina Mirnaya - for a car wash and Irina Kozak - for weaving Afro-braids. All this will help improve the economic condition of their families.

For refugees from Ukraine, the psychological support they receive in Fund “Sukhumi” is of great importance. We also informed them that the German organization CRISP provides psychological consultations. Those who wish to attend, filled out the questionnaire and will receive the service they need.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

 Living in a safe, peaceful country, access to quality education, low employment prospects, lack of youth programs, stigmas regarding gender issues - the members of Tskaltubo youth group consider these challenges to be the most urgent and according to them the solution is to strengthen civil activism among young people. The members of Tskaltubo Women Initiative Group summarized the results of the last year. Promotion of successful women's stories, advocacy of problems, informing women and inclusion in economic programs - these issues were named in the list of results.

Kutaisi Youth Club held another online meeting. The leader of the club showed 2 presentations on the topic "August 12 - International Youth Day". The participants learned when and why the Youth Day was established, as well as learned about successful young people in the world. During the meeting, they talked about the challenges and needs in the city. The members of the Women Initiative Group evaluated the annual work and talked about the future prospects.

Following the one-year results the members of Senaki youth group celebrated the International Youth Day. Summarized the results they got from their involvement in the project. They talked about goals and challenges, as well as future plans. "We have the right to live in a safe, non-violent environment, there should be a variety of municipal programs that will create more prospects for young people." - these were the opinions of the participants. The members of Senaki Women Initiative Group evaluated the results of one-year work. They talked about peace strategy and advocacy processes.

Members of the Women Initiative Group of five target municipalities met with each other online. The participants assessed the dynamics of advocacy, which is carried out within the framework of the project.

The women leaders of the group spoke about the new problems identified in the target municipalities, the current situation, outcomes and challenges in terms of advocacy.

Representatives of the Women Fund "Sukhumi" acquainted the participants with the best practice of the organization: the guide "Prevention and response to gender-based violence in war and post-war conditions - experience and recommendations of women’s NGOs"

They also discussed further plans and issues of the network operation as a mechanism of mutual support.

The project is implemented with the support

 of the UN Women organization

The advocacy group held a meeting with active women, parents, teachers, and medical personnel in the village Teklati (Senaki municipality).

The participants got acquainted with the new report of the Women Fund "Sukhumi" - “Assessment of Effectiveness of the Municipalities’ Preventive Measures to Combat Violence Against Women/Domestic Violence”, special attention was paid to the problems and recommendations that are reflected in the document.

Representatives of the City Hall Department for the Protection of Children's Rights told the meeting participants about the program of the department. Emphasis was also placed on the services of the Women Fund "Sukhumi" for the prevention of violence against women and assistance to victims.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)