Online practical training was provided for moderators of Women's support groups affiliated with the Women's Fund "Sukhumi." The session focused on the crucial topic of the preventing and responding to GBV during the war and in post-war settings. Ekaterine Gamakharia, the head of the Tbilisi office of Women's Fund Sukhumi, led the training session.
During the training, participants gained insights into typical forms of gender-based violence during war and conflict. They engaged in discussions regarding the direct and indirect impacts of armed/violent conflicts on women, girls, and other vulnerable groups.
In Chisinau, Moldova, Ekaterine Gamakharia, Head of the Women Fund "Sukhumi" representative office in Tbilisi, was honored to lead the Fireside event at a workshop with the inspiring Women's Advisory Board (WAB) for the Moldova Peace Talks, organized by the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) and UN Women. The workshop aimed at empowering WAB members with enhanced advocacy and negotiation skills, specifically addressing the Transnistrian Settlement Process. During the Fireside event, Ekaterine shared experiences of women activists' involvement in Georgia's peace processes, providing a detailed overview of the dynamic of cooperation between peace talks delegates and women's organizations. The session was open, interactive, and filled with enriching discussions.
"I believe in the power of shared experiences and knowledge exchange. Moldovan and Georgian women peace activists can learn from each other, reinforcing our collective commitment to building a more peaceful and inclusive world," said Ekaterine, reflecting on her visit.
An information-sharing meeting was held with participants from the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) and civil society representatives. Ekaterine Gamakharia, the head of the Tbilisi office of the Women's Fund "Sukhumi," along with women community leaders residing in the conflict's dividing line, participated in the meeting.
During the discussion, representatives of non-governmental organizations focusing on women's issues, along with conflict-affected women, including those residing in villages near the dividing line and displaced women, delved into a comprehensive analysis of the current situation in regions not controlled by Georgia. The conversation also covered villages located near the conflict's dividing line, humanitarian challenges faced by the local population, and the specific needs of conflict-affected women. The women emphasized the heightened sense of physical danger prevalent among the population near the dividing line, particularly following the incident where a Georgian citizen was killed by Russian border guards. Additionally, there was recognition of a concerning trend in the deterioration of mental and psychological health within the community. The discussion also brought attention to the poor socio-economic conditions and the lack of access to basic needs and services in the affected areas.
Ekaterine Gamakharia, the head of Women Fund “Sukhumi” Tbilisi Office was privileged to represent Women Fund Sukhumi and civil society organizations as a panelist at a remarkable side event organized by Canada, Chair of the Forum for Security Co-operation, and Ireland, Chair of the Human Dimension Committee. The event was dedicated to the crucial topic of „It's about people': Mental health impacts of war on civilians and military personnel.“
Among panelists were Mr. Oleksandr Klen, Clinical Psychologist at the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Dr. Julijana Stojanova, Deputy Head of the Human Resources Department, Ministry of Defence of the Republic of North Macedonia, Mr. Andrew Gardner, Deputy Head of Human Rights Departments, ODIHR, and Major-General March Bilodeau, Surgeon General in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Ekaterine Gamakharia, the head of the Tbilisi representative office of "Women's Fund Sukhumi," participated in the 25th international conference organized by the WAVE network in Madrid. The conference focused on the topic of "Institutional violence and its impact on women's rights in Europe." Approximately 200 women's rights defenders from various European countries discussed institutional violence against women, female migrants, and disabled individuals who have experienced abuse at the hands of state structures.
During the conference, Ekaterine Gamakharia took part in a parallel panel discussion with representatives from the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) and non-governmental organizations that are partners of the WAVE network. These organizations, including the Center "Women's Perspectives" in Lviv, Ukraine; the Sexual Assault Crisis Center in Yerevan, Armenia; and the "United Women of Banja Luka" Foundation in Bosnia & Herzegovina, provided insights into the project. Gamakharia had the opportunity to share information about the toolkit titled "Prevention and response to gender-based violence in the war and post-war period: Experience and recommendations of women's non-governmental organizations." The toolkit describes the experiences and best practices of women's organizations in Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina in preventing and responding to violence against conflict-affected women in war, protracted conflict, and post-conflict settings. The toolkit can be accessed here
The event, titled "Extended Advocacy Meeting to Address the Urgent Needs of IDPs and Conflict-affected Women and Youth," was held at Tbilisi Rooms Hotel. It was organized by UN Women Georgia and civil society partner organizations, including the Association of Internally Displaced Women "Consent," Women's Information Center, and Women's Fund "Sukhumi."
Representatives from national and local government, as well as the Public Defender, took part in the event. This included attendees from the National Association of Local Self-Governments of Georgia, local authorities from target municipalities. Additionally, international organizations, donor organizations operating in Georgia, international non-governmental organizations focusing on the agenda of women, peace, and security, the private sector - companies that have endorsed the principles of women's empowerment, local women's organizations, and community leaders among internally displaced and conflict-affected women, were present at the meeting.
The meeting centered around the key activities outlined in the National Action Plan and the well-being of internally displaced and conflict-affected women and youth residing along the dividing line and in IDP settlements.
The Gender Equality Council (GEC) introduced the presentation of the Report on “Implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Georgia”, introduced by Council member, Teona Akubardia. The presentation was held on September 27 symbolically – the Sokhumi massacre day. The participants observed a minute of silence in commemoration of the victims of the war.
The presentation was attended by MPs, executive authorities, as well as the diplomatic corps, international organizations and civil society. The report has been developed within the UN Women project “Accelerating Implementation of Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Georgia”, funded by CSSF.
On July 6-8, representatives of the Women's Fund "Sukhumi," Ekaterine Gamakharia and Tea Thorinava, embarked on a working visit to Vienna. The purpose of the visit was to participate in a workshop centered around the practical guide developed by partner organizations in 2022, titled "Preventing and responding to gender-based violence during war and in post-war settings: Experiences and recommendations of women's NGOs." The toolkit can be accessed here https://wave-network.org/wp-content/uploads/Toolkit-Georgian.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1rCpxvDqw8HCIz-iBwYSlKCsF9ITicwIkEr-DVCBOI3ZP5eYZv_ATu3IA . The workshop aimed to plan the development process of a training module that would contribute to enhancing the knowledge of individuals interested in the best practices and strategies for preventing and responding to gender-based violence in conflict situations, as outlined in the guide, and their practical implementation.
The workshop involved representatives from the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe), the WAVE network, and partner non-governmental organizations: the Sexual Assault Crisis Center in Yerevan, Armenia, the Women's Fund "Sukhumi" in Kutaisi and Tbilisi, Georgia, and the "United Women of Banja Luka" Foundation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On July 1, at the initiative of the President of Georgia, the Tbilisi International Women's Conference (TWIC) was held. The conference was opened by the President of Georgia and women leaders from different countries of the world are attending it.
Within the framework of the conference, the conversation touched on such issues as conflicts, peace, security and European integration of Georgia. Ekaterine Gamakharia, the head of Tbilisi representative office of the Women Fund "Sukhumi", was invited to the meeting.
On June 26-27, 2023, Ekaterine Gamakharia, the representative of the Women's Fund "Sukhumi," participated in a regional conference organized by the Global Network of Women Peace Builders (GNWP) and supported by the OSCE. Elene Rusetskaya, the head of the Women's Information Center, and Yulia Kharashvili, the head of the Displaced Women's Association "Consent," also attended the conference from Georgia.
The conference brought together women mediators and peace builders from the South Caucasus, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. The primary objective of the regional conference was to develop a roadmap for civil society networking and advocacy in the field of peace building.
During the conference, the participants actively shared the progress of the implementation of the "Women, Peace and Security" agenda in their respective countries. They discussed existing experiences, challenges, and best practices related to participation in the peace-building and decision-making processes.