Council of Europe Office in Georgia and the Governmental Administration hosted on 13 February a conference to present the recommendations provided to Georgia by GREVIO, the independent expert body which monitors the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention), as well as by the Committee of the Parties to the Istanbul Convention. At the event, representatives of non-governmental organisations and academia together with the State agencies and Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou, GREVIO member and second vice-president of GREVIO, discussed the steps to take to implement the 16 recommendations approved by the Committee of the Parties to the Convention in December 2022. The recommendations are the most pressing as indicated in the first GREVIO baseline report on Georgia published in November 2022. Georgia is to submit a report on the implementation of the recommendations to the Committee of the Parties by the end of 2025.
The meeting with the Women Initiative Group of the village Didinedzi - Zugdidi municipality was traditionally interesting. This time the conversation touched on the topic "Assessment of the quality of human security and gender needs of the population". Respondents and target beneficiaries were selected. The project "Bridging the Gap – People to People Initiatives for Conflict Resolution" is implemented with the support of the USAID. At the same time, the youth initiative group of the village Didinedzi formed the forum theater. The group selected a problem, the second stage is the development of the scenario and the last stage is the preparation and rehearsal of the performance. The main goal of the "Forum Theater" is to inform the public and develop the skills of problem-solution based on other people's experiences.
This is another good example of cooperation between our organization and kindergarten associations of Kutaisi municipality:
Trainers of the Women Fund "Sukhumi" conducted a training on: "Authorities and obligations of pre-school educational institutions. Identification and management of cases of violence against children, violence prevention" in the kindergarten No 17.
According to the participants, it was a very interesting, interactive, productive working process.
The next training with the staff of preschool institutions is planned in the near future.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
A meeting with the Women Initiative Group of the village Pakhulani - Tsalenjikha municipality was held on the topic: "Assessment of the quality of human security and gender needs of the population" The initiative group was provided with information on the methods of conducting the research. In order to effectively conduct the research process, the functions and responsibilities of the persons involved in the process of focus groups and interviews were distributed. Respondents and target beneficiaries were selected. The project "Bridging the Gap – People to People Initiatives for Conflict Resolution" is implemented with the support of the USAID
An information meeting was held with members of Women Initiative Group of Zugdidi. Despite the online format, the meeting was held actively, against the background of the interest expressed from the side of the participants.
The participants assessed the dynamics of the advocacy process. They discussed which issues are reflected in the municipal budget, and which of them require further development.
The project is implemented with the support
of the UN Women organization
A meeting with the Women Initiative Group of the village Koki - Zugdidi municipality was held on the topic: "Assessment of the quality of human security and gender needs of the population". The group members got acquainted with detailed information on the methods of conducting the research, the functions were also distributed. "Bridging the Gap – People to People Initiatives for Conflict Resolution" is implemented with the support of the USAID. The meeting in Zugdidi was also held with the members of the youth initiative group of the village Koki - Zugdidi municipality. The young people learned the importance of the 1325 and 2250 UN resolutions and what they can do to engage in the peace process and build trust. During group work, they raised interesting proposals and expressed their own opinions.
Professional courses were successfully completed in Bagdati Day Rehabilitation Center. Then the Women Fund "Sukhumi" organized a training for the beneficiaries. Highly qualified trainer, Associate Professor of Kutaisi University Elguja Deisadze introduced the participants to the specifics of writing business projects. At the next stage, a competition will be held, and the authors of the best projects will receive small grants. All this will help women to successfully create an independent career.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
Within the framework of the current working visit to Georgia, Moldova's Vice Prime Minister for Reintegration Oleg Serebriani, together with State Minister Thea Akhvlediani, met with the members of two platforms - the Expert Advisory Council and the Women's Advisory Platform.
Ekaterine Gamakharia, head of the Tbilisi representative office of Women's Fund "Sukhumi", also participated in the high-level meeting, who in her speech focused on the importance of creating gender advisory groups in the process of peaceful resolution of the conflict in Moldova and raised the issue of better studying this experience in order to replicate it in Georgia.
In order to implement the National Human Rights Strategy for the years of 2022-2030, the Government of Georgia started working on the development of the new National Human Rights Action Plan. Members of the state agencies listed under the Government Decree N143 of March 2, 2022, representatives of international/donor organizations, as well as respresentatives of more than 80 NGOs attended the meeting, among Women Fund “Sukhumi”.
At the end of the meeting, the importance of the involvement of international and local non-governmental organizations in the drafting process of the National Human Rights Action Plan was once again underlined and the timeframe for their feedback on the first draft of the action plan was discussed. However, during the discussion, the representatives of local non-governmental organizations drew attention to the main challenge of cooperation on the part of state agencies, which implies not taking into account the recommendations offered by civil societies in the state policy. Of course, it makes each of us lose the motivation to work together.
