"In my childhood parents compared me with other children. I have never heard any praise from them. When I told them that I wanted to become a hairdresser they started laughing at me and told that I could do nothing else.
I was always an obedient and a shy child. I was afraid because my mother could beat me”, - after several meetings with psychologist one of the participants decided to share her emotional experience in childhood.
In May psychologist of Fund "Sukhumi” conducted 11 individual and 6 group meetings with women IDPs living in collective centres of Kutaisi.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
"Samgurali”, "Medea”, "Geolog” – these are collective centres where Fund "Sukhumi” conducted informational meetings to provide women IDPs with the information about changes in Election legislation, Law about local self government and the gender situation in Georgia and other countries.
Participants of the meetings had nihilist attitude to elections. The issue of IDP’s housing still remains unsolved. That’s why IDPs are irritated and aggressive.
At examples of Georgia and foreign countries participants acquainted with data on gender situation and experiences of women’s movements.
The most interesting for them was the information about structure and functions of the local self-government. They mentioned with regret there was no woman participating in the local self government elections in Tskhaltubo. They explained this with the fact that clever and educated women went abroad to find jobs. That’s why it is necessary to support women, provide their social protection that they could realize their possibilities in their country.
The project is implemented with the support of international organization Conciliation Resources (Great Britain).
With support of international organization "Conciliation resources” Fund "Sukhumi” implements the project "Awareness raising and mobilization in political processes of women IDPs”.
The purpose of the meetings carried out within the framework of the project is to acquaint women IDPs with the situation in Georgia and other countries from the gender perspective, with changes in Election legislation and the Law about local self-government.
The project envisages conduction of 18 informational meetings in Kutaisi, Tskhaltubo and Khoni.
The first meetings were held on May 7th in Kutaisi. Two meetings were organized with teachers and pupils of the school # 5 of AbkhazAutonomousRepublic. Participants were provided with the information about election legislation, functions and role of the local self-government.
The same meetings were held on May 11 and 13 with women IDPs living in collective centres.
Participants of the meetings mentioned that those meetings would stimulate them for active involvement in elections and support of women-candidates.
The project is implemented with the support of international organization Conciliation Resources (Great Britain).
Informational meetings within the framework of the project "Awareness raising and mobilization in political processes of women IDPs” are continuing. The objective of these meetings is to acquaint women IDPs with the gender situation in Georgia and other countries, with changes in Election legislation and the Law about local self-government.
Three informational meetings were conducted in Women’s Support Centre in Khoni. Participants of the meetings were women IDPs, girls – senior pupils, who will firstly participate in elections. Meetings showed that women IDPs did not have information about elections. They did not know election lists, women-candidates and their programmes.
Participants mentioned that such meetings should be carried out in other collective centres to provide society with the information about Election legislation, structure, functions and authority of the local self-government.
The project is implemented with the support of international organization Conciliation Resources (Great Britain).
During April there were carried out 12 group and 17 individual meetings with psychologist in different cities of Imereti region and Samegrelo. In total 107 women participated in the meetings.
Most of IDPs are concerned of the problems of unemployment and lack of money.
"I was brought up in the family where we always lacked money. My parents had principally opposite opinions. I felt magical power of money since childhood. I have my own family now and again lack money. It’s awful when you don’t have income in family”.
From psychologist’s comments:
Attitude of a person to money is formed under the influence of large number of factors. Much is dependent on first impressions in childhood.
In "democratic” family, where financial issues are solved jointly, child copies family style. But if family politics is roughly dictated, this may cause sharp protest against family traditions.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
Meetings on the issues of reproductive health were carried out in Women’s Support Centres of Kutaisi, Tskhaltubo and Khoni.
Women and girls of different age participated in the meetings.
Topic discussed at the meetings: climacteric period, care of pregnant women, virus and infectious diseases, personal hygiene and others.
"Such meetings are not held so often in regions. We are waiting forward to every meeting. We are happy of having possibility to talk to specialist, tell about our problems connected with health and be provided with certain consultations”, - this was evaluation of a participant of one of the meetings.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
Increased opportunities of IDP population in solution of the problems raised during the process of housing – the third network meeting organized in Women’s Support Centre of Khoni was dedicated to this topic. Participants of the meeting were active groups of IDPs from seven collective centres (Kutaisi – boarding house "Tskhaltsitela”; Vani – tourist base "Argo”, hall of residence of vocational school, military town of Khoni, resort "Amagleba”, hall of residence of Vani village), which passed trainings within the framework of the program.
At the meeting there were also invited representatives of donor organization, local governmental structures, partner organizations "Future Development House” and Association of Young Lawyers.
Participants of the meeting were provided with the information about issues of housing. They were rendered appropriate consultations on the discussed issues.
The project is implemented with the support of DRC, Danish Refugee Council (EC, Sida)
In March psychologist of Fund "Sukhumi” carried out 14 group and 11 individual meetings with women IDPs living in collective centres of Kutaisi, Khoni, Tskhaltubo, Poti, Ozurgeti, and Kopitnari.
Participants tried to be sincere with psychologist.
-When you are depressed, look at the situation from a new perspective, and you’ll find something positive and good, - advised psychologist to women.
Participants of the meetings mentioned that after consultations with psychologists they feel relief and start to look at their problems in a different way.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
-These meetings help us learn our rights. We as women will have to overcome many obstacles to find our place in society. Women’s rights are infringed when they are not given possibility to make choice, - this was common opinion of young women – participants of the meetings organized in March by Fund "Sukhumi” (Kutaisi – 26.03.10., Tskhaltubo – 12.03.10., Khoni – 22.03.10., Senaki – 24.03.10).
At the meetings girls acquainted with international documents serving women’s rights protection: Resolution 1325, Beijing Platform and others.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
Psychologist of Fund "Sukhumi” conducted 4 group and 5 individual meetings with women IDPs in Women’s Support Centres of Khoni, Tskhaltubo, Kutaisi, and Poti. Participants talked about interpersonal relations, integration, and issues of accommodation.
At the meetings there were used methods of Geshtalt therapy, meditation, art-therapy and theatre of images.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst
Three meetings on reproductive health were carried out in Women’s Support Centres (Kutaisi – 03.03.10., Tskhaltubo – 19.03.10., Khoni – 12.03.10) in March. Group meetings as well as individual were interesting for the participants.
At the meetings they discussed such issues as climacteric period and problems connected with this period, pregnancy, hygiene of pregnant women.
After group meetings participants had possibility to get individual consultations from gynecologist.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst
At the meeting (in the format of "Focus group”) carried out on the 17th of March in the local self-government of Ozurgeti, participants of the research carried out by Fund "Sukhumi” were provided with the interesting information.
At the meeting employees of the Local self-government and City Administration expressed their positions regarding the issues: why there are less women-politicians in Georgia than men, why there are no women at the top of election lists, what may change in politics with the involvement of large number of women, whether it is necessary to conduct certain measures for increasing of women’s representation.
"It is necessary to mobilize women, motivate and develop skills in them”.
"As a rule, decisions are made by men, we just fulfill their requirements”, - there are notes of dissatisfaction in these words of women.
"We really feel deficiency of support and assistance”.
"Woman politician lacks self-confidence”. "Then, how can she win men in majoritarian elections?” – now these are diametrically different positions.
"Showing woman-politician Mass Media finds elements of show”, - this opinion was not appealed against.
Participants had the same position in connection with the fact that increase of women’s representation in politics would necessarily be told upon social priorities, education, health protection, though the majority, among them women, consider special measures for increasing of their number undesirable.
The project is implemented with the support of International Alert, Great Britain.
In February, the main purpose of the meetings with political parties was to set plans of cooperation with Clubs of Women-Voters and evaluation of parties’ preparation for the forthcoming local elections.
The following political parties were visited: United National Movement (Poti, Batumi), Republic Party of Georgia (Poti), The New Rights Party of Georgia (Batumi).
In Batumi City organization of the United National Movement, they say that increase of women’s representation in politics is directly connected with the public order. Since women make up 56% of the voters of Georgia, the chances are bigger to present this demand to political parties. It is necessary to mobilize women voters and strengthen working with them to achieve the overall purpose.
The New Rights Party of Georgia in Batumi lays major hopes on the women leaders, who possess all characterstics for a successful politician: professionalism, authority, feeling of responsibility and etc. One of such women, Sopo Kakhadze is in charge of women’s union in the party. The majority of the party members in the election commission will be represented by women.
Women make up about 40 % of the small number of the members of the Republic Party of Georgia in Poti. Election lists of the Republican Party are drawn up based on liberal principles, that means free selection of candidates. Women and men have equal rights to be presented in election lists
The women members of the youth branch of United National Movement of Georgia in Poti are distingushed with the special activeness. Seven of them have passed successfully the certification of the workers of Central Election Commission. They say in the party, that increase of women’s representation at local level will contribute to focusing on different kind of social problems. For this purpose, motivate, competitive and purposeful women should be represented in the election lists.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization NED – National Endowment for Democracy, USA.
The UN Resolutions 1325 and 1820, Beijing platform – how far young women are acquainted with these documents, how important it is to know these documents and how they work on practice – these issues were discussed by girls – participants of the meetings held in Kutaisi (22.02.10), Khoni (24.02.10) and Senaki (26.02.10).
Young women think that existence of these documents is not the most important thing, but it is important to learn and implement them.
- Knowledge of these documents will help us to establish equality in society and be protected from violence, - Dariko Kvaratskhelia.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst
In February psychologist of Fund "Sukhumi” carried out 16 group meetings in different cities of Imereti region (Kutaisi, Tskhaltubo, Khoni, Samtredia). In total 144 women were rendered psycho-rehabilitation.
Among them 18 women were provided with individual psychological consultations.
As psychologist says, women, basically, speak about family problems. Very often the reason of conflicts is low income in family. In some cases mothers complain of the fact that they can not recognize their children and don’t know why they are so aggressive.
-We get many useful advices and become calmer.
-We help and support each other. Psychologist gives us right direction on how we should solve our problems.
These were opinions of the participants.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
"Dialogue process on security guarantees in the context of Georgian-Abkhaz conflict” – informational meetings on this topic have been continued among different sections of population.
The last three meetings were organized in Georgian State University of Subtropical Agriculture (Kutaisi, 19.02.10), in Research Centre of the village Anaseuli, Ozurgeti District (23.02.10), in the village Khurcha, Zugdidi District (26.02.10).
Participants were acquainted with the information about analysis of Georgian and Abkhaz civil experts – "Dialogue process on security guarantees in the context of Georgian-Abkhaz conflict”.
In the opinion of the most of participants, agreement on non-resumption of hostilities should exist but at the same time there should be provided security guarantees.
The project is implemented with the support of International Alert, Great Britain.
On February 17th in the office of Fund "Sukhumi” was held informational meeting with participation of teachers of the secondary schools # 5 and 6 of Autonomous republic of Abkhazia and also school # 17 of Kutaisi as well as doctors. The topic of the conversation was consideration of the analysis of Georgian and Abkhaz experts "Dialogue process of security guarantees in the context of Georgian-Abkhaz conflict” and definition of positions of participants about security guarantees, importance of agreement on non-resumption of hostilities and mechanisms of its protection.
"It’s a pity that we’ve not discussed these issues before. Most of us have such feeling as if our opinions are not taken into account when they solve these issues”.
"Agreements on non-resumption of war is necessary for rebuilding of confidence between parties”, - say participants. Though at the same time they taken into account real fears for Georgia in case if there are not elaborated full-fledged guarantee mechanisms.
There were developed issues which were of principal importance for the participants:
-Signing of agreement should not be equivalent to the voluntary refusal of Georgian side from Abkhazia.
-The main issue in the agreement is the issue of IDPs.
-Until there is even one refugee in Georgia it is impossible to tell about successful negotiations though we think that both parties should go on reasonable compromises.
At the end of the meeting participants submitted their proposals.
The project is implemented with the support of International Alert, Great Britain.
