UNFPA Georgia’s ‘Men Care’ Initiative Awarded

This week, the London-based think tank Emerging Europe released the winners of its annual Equality-Friendly Initiative of the Year contest. The first place went to Georgia’s Men Care initiative, created by UNFPA Georgia and the NGO We Care. The category is open to initiatives whose goal is to promote social inclusion and equal treatment of individuals or groups regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.

The goal of Men Care is to raise awareness of the importance of fatherhood and male involvement in family life and aims to break the stereotype that family and its health and wellbeing is a woman's responsibility.

Georgia’s Men Care initiative was selected from ten nominees by a jury from Emerging Europe. MenCare is a global fatherhood campaign active in more than 45 countries across five continents since 2011. It promotes men’s active, equitable and nonviolent involvement as fathers and caregivers around the world.

Through media campaigns, program development, and advocacy, we work with partners across the globe to engage men as caregivers and fathers. We work with men and couples as program participants in parenting groups, as well as with entire communities, creating media campaigns to change norms around what it means to be a man. We also support organizations and community mobilizers to push for progressive legislation, and we work with institutions and governments to see men’s engagement in caregiving as a key dimension of gender equality.

UNFPA started its assistance to Georgia in 1993 to address the reproductive health concerns of the population and in 1999 expanded to a full Country Office. UNFPA operations and programs have more than 15 years of partnership with Georgian Government, civil society organizations and donors aiming at implementation of the ICPD Program of Action, MDGs and SDGs. UNFPA 3rd Country Program for Georgia (2016-2020) is country-specific and tailored to meet Georgia's needs and priorities in the area of sexual and reproductive health, population dynamics and gender equality.

Emerging Europe is committed to boosting the social and economic development of twenty-three countries in Eastern Europe and raising awareness about the region. They host several annual awards, including Renewal Project of the Year, for which Tbilisi’s Fabrika was nominated, and Tourism Campaign of the Year, for which our own Where.ge earned a nomination. Invest in Georgia was nominated for National Investment Promotion Agency of the Year.

By Samantha Guthrie

Photo: Tamara Karelidze