On the ninth meeting of Ozurgeti GAC member of Ozurgeti municipality Sakrebulo – Lali Sichinava was chosen as a deputy of the chairperson. New members of the GAC were also accepted and chosen.
Member of the GAC, the lawyer – Tamaz Trapaidze analysed informational meetings. The re problem of residents of Chokhatauri Street was raised. The issue of representatives of ethnical minorities was several times raised for discussion. They decided to address local government, to involve advocacy group in problem solution.
On September 3, in the conference hall of Senaki Municipality Sakrebullo, the presentation of the project “Gender Advisory Councils – raising of women’s role in social changes of the regions” was held. There were also activities, carried out by Senaki GAC from its starting.
Besides the deputies of Sakrebulo, there were the members of the Sakrebulo apparatus, also the representatives of Gamgeoba. They heard the information about a project, conducted work, planned events with interest and noted that they are ready to express support in reaching the goals.
The youth often speak about gender issues in the WSCs of the fund “Sukhumi”.
The topic of August meetings was “Creation and development of the gender society in Georgia”.
In spite of the fact that the part of youth has lots of information received as a result of different activities, some of them look at several issues with stereotypes. For example, one of the boys said: “I don’t want my wife to work, but in case of her insisted will, I must overview the staff, where she will work”.
Of course this opinion had opponents even during the meeting, but each opinion has right to exist…the fact is that more work must be carried out with the youth.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt – EvangelischerEntwicklunsdienst (Germany)
On August 26, an ordinary meeting of the new composition of GAC, existing with Kutaisi Sakrebulo was held. 5 members of newly elected Sakrebulo were added to it.
Irma petriashvili – the chairperson of culture, education, youth and sport commissions was unanimously elected the head of council and TeimurazNadiradze – the member of Sakrebulo, chairperson of healthcare and social issues commission, as her deputy.
The GAC members agreed to discuss final version of suggestions and recommendations on the ordinary meeting, which was elaborated on the basis of the researches. It will be delivered for envisaging gender needs in the local budget of Sakrebulo. There was also an opinion that the council must take responsibility to protect its recommendations.
On August 26, an ordinary meeting of the Gender Advisory Council was held. The chairperson familiarized council members with the new composition of Sakrebulo members, which will be involved in council activities. There are 5 women in new staff of Ozurgeti Municipality and all of them expressed readiness for involvement in the work of the council.
After elections Ozurgeti Municipality was divided into two self-governmental units, coming out of existing reality, there was expressed an opinion that it is essential for both Sakrebulos – municipal, as well as urban, to be involved in the work of the council. The meeting also summarized the results of work-shops, conducted within the frames of the project, initiated by the council. Future asctivities were also planned.
On August 25, the 8-th meeting of GAC was held in Senaki. According the day schedule, new members – deputies of Senaki municipality Sakrebulo – Nana Alania and ElisoTsaguria were included in the composition of the council. They are ready to put their share in building of gender policy of the city.
The council members received information regarding the problems of local population, solved as a result of the meeting with the lawyer, also regarding upcoming events within the project.
Active discussion of one of the Council project ideas was held, connected with civil education of young parents and teachers of kindergartens of the city regarding gender issues and eco-sanitarian situation. By the words of council members, the project will not only raise knowledge of target groups, but also will reveal their problems and find the ways of solution.
On August 25, Batumi GAC gathered with new composition: The meeting was attended by 3 new members of Sakrebulo. They received detailed information about implemented activities and explained how they see their role in the council.
The initiative groups spoke about the projects for submission to the self-government. There were defined issues, advocacy of which will be held by the members of council. There was delivered an information regarding duration of budget gender analysis.
Informational meeting was held with the Mayor of the city – Giorgi Ermakov. The agreement was achieved regarding the fact that two advisors of the Mayor will be presented in the composition of Gender Advisory Council, who will make innovative steps in the issues of gender and disabled persons.
The project is implemented with the support of the U.S. Department of State
Head of Georgian – Russian diaspora, Aleksandra Anisimova (doctor, Officer of the Order of honor), related about activities of diaspora. With the support of Russian representation in Georgia, several cultural-educational activities are conducted. Young people of different nationalities have possibility to receive free high education in the highest universities of Russia. The veterans of the world war the second can rest on different resorts of Georgia twice a year. By the words of Aleksandra Anisimova, Georgian – Russian diaspora actively cooperates with different diasporas, working in the “House of Friendship”.
The same day, other meeting was held in the organization “Unity for Support”, where the IDPs spoke about their problems. Among them, the problem of unemployment is the problem number one. The IDPs, who live by rent, have a hope that the state will ensure them by the accommodation.
The project is implemented with the support of the U.S. Department of State
TV Company “Egrisi” is our partner, it was especially obvious in the last period, when the journalists actively began to air activities of Senaki Gender Advisory Council.
That’s why the representative of the fund “Sukhumi” conducted traditional meeting with the journalists in the television and thanked the staff for collaboration.
The TV Company exists and develops since 1995. As the manager of the TV Company – Lali Lomaia mentioned, they are preparing for digital broadcasting, which will more improve technical possibilities of the “Egrisi”. As for the collaboration with the fund “Sukhumi”, it will be actively continued in future. The journalists: Tako Arziani and Nana Jibladze express a will to know more about gender issues, in order to better air the topic.
Mobilization meetings, conducted in collective centers of Kutaisi, Khoni, Tskaltubo, Senaki, Poti and Khurcha are often devoted to the dates, which are celebrated around the world. The topic of the meeting this time was the youth, as August 12 is International Day of the Youth.
During the meeting the attention was paid to the youth problems, their needs, relation of children and parents, educational issues, employment.
Majority of participants are the women and so it was very interesting to look at the life of the youth by the eyes of women.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt – EvangelischerEntwicklunsdienst (Germany)
In spite of the fact that it is hot weather and the city is empty, the WSCs actively continue conducting informational meeting. Meetings with the women residing in Kutaisi, Khoni, Tskaltubo, Poti, Senaki and Khurcha were conducted like previous months, attended by 417 participants.
There were different issues discussed on the meeting – protection and rehabilitation of the victim, new criteria of IDP resettlement. Once again the attention was paid to the results of local government elections and women’s political participation.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt – Evangelischer Entwicklunsdienst (Germany)
With the aim of inner monitoring, the fund “Sukhumi” conducted focus-group with the members of Kutaisi GAC, it was participated by 10 members of council.
-Important, effective, relevant activities, which need continuation – thus they evaluated their work.
Beside the focus-group was conducted with the representatives of society and 3 in-depth interviews with local government, media and NGO representatives.
“Our activity is a stimulation for the self-government, in order to show them, that they must get use of seeing gender needs in the city” – mentioned council members.
The monitoring showed that while creating the GAC, the strategy was clearly defined and planned and the GAC works according this strategy.
The mobilizers spoke about the activities conducted in WSCs in July. It was mentioned that this month was hot in direction of the work also.
The lawyer of the fund “Sukhumi” and the project assistants gave the mobilizers detail information regardin “evaluation criteria of possibility to use living space”.
The mobilizers mentioned that facts of domestic violence are frequent and the influence on them is made by consultations of the lawyers and psychologist. There are some cases of involving police, but though increased informing, the victim often prefers to stay anonymous.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt – Evangelischer Entwicklunsdienst (Germany)
The IDPs form Abkhazia, who live by rent in Batumi demand from the state to be satisfied with the living spaces or pay accommodation fee for vulnerable families (these are the IDPs, who were re-settled from the sanatoriums several years ago. Compensation, paid by the foreign investor was not enough for purchasing relevant space, so the problem still is unsettled). Majority of meeting participants is unemployed and socially unprotected, they also need assistance in the health sphere.
This informational meeting of the fund “Sukhumi” was held in the office of the NGO “Unity and Assistance”. By the opinions of the participants, this organization tries its best to solve IDP problems.
The same day the meeting was held in 15 Leonidze Street, with the IDPs. 48 families are placed in rehabilitated building. Parts of the IDPs have spaces into their possession and the part is in the process of expectation. They demand to legalize cellars, sport squares in the yards and lightning.
The project is implemented with the support of the U.S. Department of State
Ordinary meeting of Batumi GAC was held on June 23. They heard information of the group, which was involved in gender analysis of the budget. Reality after elections in local self-government was evaluated and prospects of collaboration with newly elected Sakrebulo were defined.
The same day meeting with the representative of Batumi Sakrebulo, which expressed readiness of collaboration with the GAC was conducted. As he says, in the nearest future it will be discussed, who will represent Sakrebulo in the GAC.
There was also held a meeting with the women – members of Sakrebulo, who are ready to be actively involved in the work of GAC. Several issues were defined, which will be lobbied in the nearest future.
The project is implemented with the support of the U.S. Department of State
In frames of the project – “Women and girls – for peace and social justice” two more workshops were conducted in the WSC of Khurcha. Women and girls of different ages living on the both sides of de-facto boundary, touched those important issues, which treat their human security. The most alarming is increased number of kidnapping in the Gali district, which "peacefully" ends after paying a ransom. The other serious problem is free movement, which is named as one of the most essential problems. The women name the problem of unemployment. Though there were announced information about abrogation of labor rights in private sector. The issues of health and social security were also raised. Part of the women considers that principle of social justice is not protected in state social assistance program and considers that it needs refinement.
The project is implemented with the support of Kvinna till Kvinna,
