"Expected amendments in the Election Code” – the workshop on this topic was held by the lawyer of Fund "Sukhumi” in Khobi.
Participants of the meeting were actively engaged in the discussion and mentioned that awareness raising of the population on the given issue is necessary and timely.
- I think that Election Code needs to be improved. The lists should be revised and specified, functions and obligations of the commission members should be increased, - Nana Kobakhidze.
- Such meetings should be conducted not only at Clubs of Women-Voters but also at places where the level of legal education of society is low, - was said at the meeting.
Members of the Club were provided with the information about the visit of a Russian photo-journalist Viktoria Ivleva and her photo exhibition - "Apotheosis of war” – in Kutaisi.
At the meeting they said that such projects evoke a sense of peace and enhance goodwill between the Russian and Georgian peoples.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization NED – National Endowment for Democracy, USA.
Meetings of the Club "Abkhazia – want to know everything” were conducted in the office of Fund "Sukhumi” (03.06.2011, 29.06.2011), in Tskhaltubo (13.06.2011) and Khoni (28.06.2011). The theme of the meetings was – Ochamchira and its historical importance.
Girls – participants of the meetings got aqcuainted with interesting historical facts about one of the coastal towns in Abkhazia – Ochamchira. Especially impressive were the convesrations of the guests – former residents of Ochamchira.
-Each of us lives with the hope for returning to his or her native town. Georgians and Abkhazians should search for the ways of peaceful co-existance.
-Many young people know about native towns and cities only from the stories of their parents and relatives. We think that such conversations will make young people interested in Abkhazia, - said participants of the meetings.
Advocacy group has raised in the Municipal Administration of Kobuleti the
issue about the closure of the building of the Blinds’ Union. Activity of women
helped to positively solve the problem - Municipal Administration of Kobuleti ceded
to Blinds’ Union a ground floor of the building.
The group also submitted another initiative on giving women (on Mother's
Day - March 3) certain funds from the budget of Adjara Autonomous Republic.
The meeting was attended by the Deputy of the local self-government
council of Poti, Darejan Tskhvitaria. She shared with participants her
impressions of the visit in Brussels and Estonia. In her conversation she said:
We will not achieve anything if we are passive. We all should contribute to the
process of building of our country”.
Members of the Club were given leaflets within the framework of the
Global campaign against gun violence.
The meeting was attended by the editor of the edition of the Union of of
Adjara "Tkveni gazeti” Dali Inaishvili. According to her activity of the Club
is quite fruitful and soon readers of these newspaper will be provided with the
information about the Club
The project is
implemented with the support of the organization NED – National Endowment for
Democracy, USA.
Members of the Club of Women-Voters joined the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence, organized by IANSA network.
Participants of the meeting were handed out leaflets.
Women said that uncontrolled arms leads to great loss of life and all should raise voice against this fact.
The Club members evaluated the ongoing political processes in the country. They emphasized that the responsibility for the events lies both on the government and the opposition.
The advocacy group submitted brief report about their activity. In the local government they raised the issue about transport (there are streets where the traffic does not move, and there are no benefits for pupils, students and teachers). Ozurgeti women hope that the problems related to transportation will be solved in September.
Members of the Club gathered in the Resource centre of Ozurgeti saw products of young artists (necklaces, pottery, etc.).
The project is implemented with the support of the organization NED – National Endowment for Democracy, USA.
Members of the Club were provided with the report of the Advocacy group.
They addressed Women’s and Children’s Security Centre in Khobi to request the information
and found out that free of charge cancer screening and gynecological diseases programmes are operating in the Zugdidi and Senaki.
Members of the Club will introduce with this information women living in villages.
Khobi women hope that in the future free of charge cancer and gynecological diseases screening programmes will be available in Khobi too and they will not have to go to Sugdidi and Senaki.
At the meeting of the Club participants assessed the ongoing events in the country. They noted that political processes should be regulated in peaceful way.
Members of the Club of Women-Voters organized an exhibition of photos of Khobi photographer Geno Pilia. About 30 people gathered in the editorial office of "Khobis Moambe” saw more than 30 portraits of women of the 74 years old photographer.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization NED – National Endowment for Democracy, USA.
Participants of the meeting evaluated the workshop held for them last month.
-We acquainted with the types of leaders, importance of team work. We’ll try to use the obtained skills in our life, - mentioned the meeting participants.
Members of Club of Women-Voters discussed events in the country – We are against violence, chaos and instability. We are striving for peace and revival.
The advocacy group mentioned that last month in the Club and local self-government was raised the issue about polluted drinking water. They appealed in writing to the relevant structures. Advocacy has been started!
The women hope that this problem will be solved in the near future, and the population of Khoni will be supplied with clean water.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization NED – National Endowment for Democracy, USA.
The meeting was attended by the journalists of
the newspaper P.S., "Akhali gazeti”, TV broadcasting company "Rioni”. The theme
"Role of media in advocacy” caused active discussion among the participants.
They mentioned that media should be engaged in
problem advocacy more actively and that central television satisfies
requirements of not society, but the requirements of a customer.
Advocacy group of five persons acquainted the
participants with the results of work - to solve problems related to transport,
they appealed to different services - women hope that the problem will
necessarily be solved, and the population of Kutaisi will be able to ride on
public transport at night.
At the end of the day there was conducted a
workshop for the Club members on the theme "Leader and his/her team”. The
participants were familiarized with the types of leadership, principles of team
work.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization
NED – National Endowment for Democracy, USA.
The role of media in problem advocacy – bad internal roads, absence of water, rough attitude to nature - cutting down of trees - an active debate about these issues was held during one of the study visits.
In the Club of Women-Voters participated representatives of the clubs from the three cities - Kutaisi, Batumi and Khobi.
It was noted that they often address local and central TV companies for problem advocacy.
The head of information service of the local TV company "Odishi” Nana Kobalia talked about cooperation of media and non-governmental organizations.
A representative of fund "Sukhumi" conducted a workshop on the theme "Leader and his/her team".
At the end of the day members of the Club of Women-Voters visited the Dadiani museum and saw hundreds of exhibits: the original paintings by French and German artists, portraits of famous women, foreign literature, various kinds of weapons, jewelry, and furniture.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization NED – National Endowment for Democracy, USA.
The role of media in problem advocacy is important – such was the opinion of most of Club of Women-Voters’ members, though they say that the problems are solved at the level of local government, so they almost don’t apply to media for advocacy.
- Media can not solve the problem, it can only illuminate it.
- In most of the cases media is not free and objective, so we do not trust it.
- Lots of problems were solved with interference of media.
On the same day for members of the Club was held a workshop on the topic: The leader and his/her team - the club members got acquainted with the types of leadership, there were organized several group activities.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization NED – National Endowment for Democracy, USA.
At the meeting was raised the issue of polluted drinking water.
Advocacy group of five people mentioned that they addressed in written to the local government for problem solution.
At the club women IDPs and locals discussed other relevant problems - poor quality of repair works, absence of supplying with gas, unemployment, bad roads, polluted environment.
An employee of the local government machinery Bachana Basilaia thinks that the way out is the mobilization of society and better knowledge of one’s own rights.
On the same day members of the Club were provided with a one-hour workshop on the theme "Leader and his/her team."
The project is implemented with the support of the organization NED – National Endowment for Democracy, USA.
Club of Women-Voters in Khobi was hold in a business atmosphere.
At the meeting representatives of Clubs from different cities – Kutaisi, Khobi, Khoni, Zugdidi talked about topical problems (health protection, transport) and ways of their solution.
A journalist Nana Robakidze touched upon the special role of media in problem advocacy.
A member of the Khobi municipality Dali Gergaia talked about social problems, and an authorized person of municipality Karlo Jobava talked about an important role of women in local politics. A representative of Fund "Sukhumi” Gulnara Lakerbaia conducted a workshop on the theme "Leader and his/her team”. Members of the Club think that the aforementioned workshop was very useful for them and they will use the obtained knowledge in practice.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization NED – National Endowment for Democracy, USA.
Beginning of the Meeting of the Club of Women-Voters in Ozurgeti was unusual.
In the village Likhauri in Ekvtime Takaishvili house-museum gathered representatives of the Clubs of Women-Voters from Kutaisi, Ozugreti, Batumi and Tskhaltubo.
Women familiarized with the life of an outstanding public figure and a famous son of the fatherland Ekvtime Takaishvili - with his way of life - his enormous role in Georgian history, rich photo and printed material, and made some commemorative photos by themselves.
In the second part of the meeting a journalist of the newspaper "Alioni" touched the main theme "Role of media in problem advocacy". She talked about the problems she faces while preparing a material. For example, some respondents prefer to remain silent, not wishing to appear in the press.
An active representative of the Club Ketevan Kadeishvili talked about problems which she plans to advocate in the Club of Women-Voters in Ozurgeti. - We have raised the issue of transport, appealed to private and public structures, though in vain. It seems as if we walk in exclusive circles.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization NED – National Endowment for Democracy, USA.
Representatives of the local press – newspaper "Tskhaltubo” participated in a regular meeting of the Club of Women-Voters.
Participants of the meeting mentioned that the role of media in problem advocacy is really important.
Again at the Club of Women-Voters were discussed problems existing in the sphere of transport – participants think that there should be established transport benefits for IDP students – in this regard an advocacy group addressed the local government.
In the second part of the meeting was held a workshop on the theme "Leader and his/her team”. In the opinion of one of the participants, Mzia Mushkudiani, the day was interesting and useful.
Members of the Club talked about importance of strong and united team for the problem solution.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization NED – National Endowment for Democracy, USA.
At the meeting of the Club of Women-Voters, held in Batumi, a representative of the Christian-Democratic Movement Nazibrola Kobuladze provided information on local budgets and social programs. Nazibrola is also a member of the Commissions on Health and Social Affairs, Education, Culture, Sports and Tourism in the local government of Batumi.
An initiative, proposed by her – provision of free delivery services for women-residents of Batumi – is still under discussion, as it requires aligning with the budget.
An advocacy group, formed in Batumi club, acquainted the member of the local government with the problems discussed at the Club, including transport benefits for students and undergraduates, necessity of revision of the database on socially unprotected families, and inclusion of social issues in the city budget.
"On basis of mutual co-operation solution of crucial problems has become possible" - said Ms. Nazibrola.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization NED – National Endowment for Democracy, USA.
A three-day training on the topic "Prevention of domestic violence” was held at the Women’s SupportCenter in Senaki. Most of the training participants were not familiar with the topics discussed. Discussion of the issues by paragraphs significantly increased the level of awareness that was obvious during group work and presentations. There were used various methods: case studies, group and role-play exercises.
The participants had the opportunity to share their experiences, views about healthy communication and harmonious relations.
According to the participants, they received a lot of new, useful information, which they will use in their everyday life.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
Kutaisi Club of Women-Voters hosted the club members from Batumi and Tskhaltubo.
The meeting brought together 28 women. A member of the local government in Kutaisi Manana Kikabidze, who is also a member of the Club of Women-Voters, talked about the cultural events held in the city. The information about the program on gender monitoring of the local government, funded by the US Embassy in Georgia, was interesting for the participants.
Considerable time was devoted to identifying real problems and finding solutions for them with the purpose of advocacy and lobbying. Among the problems were identified: unbalanced transportation system (in peak hours transportation is impossible), socially unprotected families and others.
In conclusion, participants noted that the meeting was fruitful in terms of mutual cooperation and exchange of experiences.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization NED – National Endowment for Democracy, USA.
Meetings held to exchange experiences, information and opinions are very important and useful - was mentioned at the meeting of the Club of Women-Voters in Tskhaltubo where arrived members of the Clubs from Ozurgeti, Kutaisi, and Khoni.
Prior the meeting the guests visited the Tshaltubo spa center, the sixth Stalin spring.
- I'm happy today. I can not hide my emotions. We told each other about our problems and achievements. We listened with interest to the information on clubs of Women-Voters functioning in different cities - Shushana Mirtskhulava (a member of Khoni Club).
- The day was impressing. We were acquainted with the work Tskhaltubo Club of Women-Voters and told them about our activity. We visited the sixth Stalin spring. I think that is a huge resource of our country and the resort should be restored - Nato Todua (a member of Kutaisi Club).
- I'm returning to my city overflew with emotions. I am grateful to Tskhaltubo club for this interesting meeting, - Marina Kipariodze, a member of the Club of Women-Voters of Ozurgeti.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization NED – National Endowment for Democracy, USA.
