Women's Coalition of Georgia forwarded to
the parliament 32 thousand signatures

press-conference

May 2, 2008

Women's Coalition of Georgia forwarded to the parliament 32 thousand signatures in support of ammendments to the country's elections legislation. At the press-conference, held on May 2, the Coalition members shared this news with the media stressing that the amendments aim to bring more women in politics.

According to Tamara Abramishvili, the Coalition member, women's NGOs urge the authorities to amend legisation so that the country's parliament introduces temporary measures (quotas) to bring the number of women to 50%.

"Over 32 thousand people, living both in Tbilisi and in the regions of Georgia, supported and signed this initiative, and the Coalition forwarded all signatures to the parliament today," Abramishvili stated at the press-conference.

According to the existing regulations, the parliament now is obliged to study and discuss the Women's Coalition's legislative initiative. "We hope that the new parliament, elected on May 21, will support activation of women's participation in decision-making processes," the Coalition members stressed talking to the media on May 2 press-conference.

Supporting women candidates –
More women to Georgian parliament!

action

May 1, 2008

Trying on the role of the parliament member – that was an opportunity for anyone who participated in the action organized by the Women’s Coalition of Georgia. At the action, that took place between 2 p.m. – 4 p.m., participants took photos using a stencil image of a typical parliament member, extemporaneously turned into a female parliamentarian. Leaflets, urging the society to support women candidates and balloons with the Coalition emblem were disseminated at the action.

“The goal of the action is to inform the society about our aspiration to support justice and democracy by means of increasing the number of women at decision-making regardless of their political and party preferences. We want to address to the society urging it to support women candidates, we want to emphasize that women make 53% of total population of Georgia, while their number in parliament is only 9%,” Ketevan Dadunashvili, Coalition member stressed.

More women at decision-making:
BE ACTIVE!

ACTION 2008, March, 7 – CaucAsia Magazine's special issue

Women make up to 53 percent of Georgian population, they have high education status, good professional skills, they are active in economy and social life. However, there are less than 10 percent of women in the national parliament, there is only one female minister in the country, and there are no women among governors. Among 1750 Sakrebulo (local self-government bodies) staffed after 2006 elections, only 195 women (11 percent) were elected. There is a strange contradiction: from one hand, Georgian women have to be economically and socially active in order to earn money for their families; from the other hand, women do not have their representatives in authorities in order to protect their interests.

Four years ago, nine organizations of Women’s NGO Coalition of Georgia united together to work out national Concept on Gender Equality. Women’s NGOs and networks, international experts, and state representatives were involved in this work. The Concept on Gender Equality was adopted by Georgian parliament in 2006.

To launch the Concept’s work, it was necessary to form the National Action Plan on Gender Equality, and governmental Commission on Gender Equality was set up to work out the Action Plan. The governmental commission includes deputy ministers and four independent experts, all representing Coalition of Women’s NGOs of Georgia. In 2007, Georgian parliament approved the national Action Plan for the period of 2007 - 2009.

These documents represent the basics, needed to be developed at all levels and at different spectrums. Upcoming parliamentary elections is one of them.

It is necessary to:

• IMPROVE elections legislation.
• ENABLE free and dynamic elections activeness of female electorate.
• ACTIVATE women candidates, raise their motivation and strengthen their political skills.
• PROMOTE strengthening of inter-party democracy.

ON THE THRESHOLD OF THE HOLIDAY OF WOMEN’S SOLIDARITY

Women’s NGOs of Georgia urged their colleagues and representatives of all social institutes to support women’s participation in decision-making at all levels

SPECIAL INFORMATION CAMPAIGN WAS HELD IN TBILISI AND REGIONS OF GEORGIA ON MARCH 7

More women at decision-making:

BE ACTIVE!

GenderMediaCaucasus Journalists’ Association:
text, photos