- My mother often tells me that our generation is living much better. No one talked about their rights before, no one knew about the existence of these issues.
- At each meeting we get new information about our rights, become more self-confident, know what to do to protect our rights - this was the assessment of the participants of the meetings in Kutaisi, Poti and Khoni, where they spoke about women's rights and those international instruments which serve to protect them.
Young women think that as many women as possible should know about the UN Resolution 1325, the Beijing Platform and other documents, so that they could protect their rights if necessary.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
An evaluator of the project implemented with the support of the German organization EED (Church Development Service), Mr. John Beauclerk from the UK arrived in fund "Sukhumi" on March 28. The first day of his visit began with an introduction with the project management, assistants, trainers, and persons involved in the project, who spoke briefly about their activities. The meeting was also attended by guests from the EED, Ilonka Boltze (programs officer in the Balkans and the Caucasus), Michael Kronenberg (Senior Manager on Financial Affairs), Levan Abashidze (Consultant in Georgia).
Mr. John Beauclerk will stay in fund "Sukhumi" for eleven days. He will conduct individual interviews with target groups and beneficiaries of the project in Women’s support centers in Kutaisi and in other cities of Western Georgia, with leaders and partners of the organization, with representatives of local government.
The project will also be evaluated by the local evaluator Iliko Natsvaladze.
A meeting with members of the monitoring group was held in fund "Sukhumi". The Project Director Alla Gamakharia explained monitors how to gather information and make gender analysis in the sphere of social protection, health and education.
The monitors reported on the outcomes of their activities made in this direction.
At the end of the meeting the leaders of the project summarized the results of the meeting. The monitors were instructed to collect all necessary information in local government and other relevant bodies to determine the number of women who receive one-off financial assistance, and the number of women enjoy the benefits of free travel.
The project is implemented with the support of the U.S. Embassy Democracy Commission Small Grant Program
- What are the international instruments protecting women’s rights, how well do young women know these documents? - informational meetings on these issues were held in Kutaisi, Khoni, Tskhaltubo and Poti.
Young women got acquainted with the Beijing Platform and discussed the importance of this document.
Tamuna Kukhalashvili (Khoni) – "Meetings held by fund "Sukhumi" are important from the informational point of view. At these meetings we obtained information on international instruments, familiarized with the UN Resolution 1325, CEDAW, and the Beijing Platform. Every woman should know about the existence of these documents because they support women and serve to protect their rights".
Khatuna Lakia (Poti) - "Young women should know their rights. I often have to argue on this topic with my parents. The more such informational meetings will be held with young people, the less there will be the facts of violence in our society".
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
From February fund "Sukhumi" started to actively mobilize women in Kutaisi, Tskhaltubo, Khoni, Poti, Senaki and Khurcha. Meetings were held in collective centers by mobilizers of Women's Support Centers. They provided IDPs with activity of fund, what activities were planned in the Women's Support Centers, discussed challenges of IDPs.
In February there were conducted ten meetings in per city - Kutaisi, Tskhaltubo, Senaki, Poti, Khoni, and one in per village - Khurcha, Koki and Nabakevi.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
Representatives of Fund "Sukhumi” met with the member of the local self-government Irina Sajaia and a Head of Public relations Department Nana Tavdumadze. They provided them with the information about Club of Women-Voters of Ozurgeti, acquainted with the initiative of Fund "Sukhumi” about issuance of The State allowance in the amount of 600 Gel to all women giving birth. Irina Sajaia who is also a member of the Club of Women-Voters, mentioned that despite busy work, she will continue active cooperation with the Club and that since March local government will announce grants competition, where members of the Club of Women-Voters in Ozurgeti will be able to submit applications.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization NED – National Endowment for Democracy, USA
An informational meeting of the group of monitors of Kutaisi, Tskhaltubo and Khoni was held in Fund "Sukhumi”. Participants were acquainted with the program on monitoring of the local self government activity taking into account gender aspects.
Chairperson of Fund Alla Gamakharia provided monitors with the information on the stages needed for the conduction of monitoring. These stages anticipate collection of specific program materials in social, medical and education spheres, meetings on evaluation of the local self government activity, focus-groups, informational meetings, organization of Round tables with participation of a chairperson of local self-government, civil society and Mass Media.
The project is implemented with the financial support of the U.S. Embassy in Georgia.
-What feminist movement means, its origin, what mechanisms exist in Georgia to protect women - these and other issues were discussed by young women in the Women's Support Centers in Kutaisi, Khoni, and Senaki. It should be noted that some of the attendees participated in the meetings for the first time.
- We get a lot of necessary information at these meetings. Here you can freely express our thoughts, discuss some issues. That is why we are waiting forward to each meeting with great interest. We, as young women must know women’s rights and what mechanisms for their protection, - said the participants of the meetings.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
On the last day of the 16-day campaign psychologist of Fund "Sukhumi" visited collective center "Tskhaltsitela”. Women IDPs who gathered at the meeting talked about forms of violence against women. They think that women are socially vulnerable because many of them do not work. They have to stand in the cold on the market, work in greenhouses, and gather nuts. Such work is very labor-consuming for women. They often become victims of psychological violence.
Participants of the meeting were handed out posters and calendars released by fund "Sukhumi" within the framework of the campaign.
Within the framework of the campaign psychologist of Fund "Sukhumi" met with women and girls IDPs living in the collective center "Tsugrumela. Information about the 16 days of activism was not new to them, since they often attend measures of fund "Sukhumi" and regularly read the journal "Women's Voice."
Participants discussed negative consequences of violence. They emphasized that everyone should raise their voices against violence.
With the initiative of Fund "Sukhumi” in Kutaisi branch of Moscow Institute of Economics and Law was held a meeting on the topic of domestic violence for students and lecturers of different faculties .
Participants got information about the 16-day campaign against gender violence. They were handed out leaflets and posters made by Fund "Sukhumi” and rendered legal consultations on the aforementioned topic.
Psychologist of Fund "Sukhumi" met with women IDPs in the collective of Kutaisi (Musical boarding school). Participants were provided with the information about the 16-day campaign against violence, talked about forms of violence. According to them, in recent years, women better know their rights and attitude of society has been changed. And this means that people began to speak about violence aloud and more often.
Psychologist of Fund "Sukhumi” visited women IDPs living in the Collective centre – the "House of young naturalist” in Kutaisi. The meeting began with the information about the 16-day campaign. The women talked about their problems. Unemployment, social issues – these are only few of the problems that affect women IDPs. Participants were handed out poster and calendars.
-What is family? What is the relationship between the generations? - similar questions were heard at the information meeting organized by fund "Sukhumi", which was attended by young women.
According to the participants traditions and stereotypes in the Georgian families are so strong that new generation can not live separately and therefore are dependent on their parents. Very often it turns into psychological violence.
Participants believe that the best way to avoid this violence is effective communication with parents.
With the initiative of fund "Sukhumi" within the framework of the 16-day campaign in the Green Room of A. Tsereteli State University in Kutaisi was showed the film "Geisha’s Memoirs". Filmed in 2005. It shows the history of the geisha of the 20 th century, women covered from all sides. After showing the film, a discussion.
Meetings on reproductive health were held in Women’s Support Centres of Tskhaltubo (1.12.10), Khoni (2.12.10) and Kutaisi (03.12.10) within the framework of the 16-day campaign. At the meetings there were discussed such topics as sexually transmitted diseases, breast cancer and mastopathy.
During the meetings participants were handed out information materials about the campaign.
