G4G & Women’s Business Council Award Entrepreneurial Georgian Women

On March 27, the Rooms Hotel Tbilisi hosted the fifth annual conference ‘Women’s Role in Economic Growth and Policy Development’, dedicated to the contribution of increasing the role of women in different spheres, including government, business and civil society. The given initiative has been implemented within the scope of the USAID project ‘Governing for Growth (G4G) in Georgia’ and ‘Women in Business Council in Georgia’ (WBCG) with the support of the Bank of Georgia, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), as well as Tbilisi City Hall.

The audience was welcomed by high-level figures, including Elizabeth Rood, Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy to Georgia, and Ulrik Tiderstrom, Ambassador of Sweden to Georgia and Armenia, followed by two panels giving successful women the chance to talk about their path to success and the challenges they had to face. Finally, a ceremony awarded the leading women in different fields.

The event was attended by more than 230 representatives from government, civil society, private sector and the diplomatic corps. GEORGIA TODAY was among the attendees and grabbed a chance to talk with one of the award winners, Anna Goguadze, the founder of the social café New Mziuri, located in the park of the same name.

“We took our first steps three years ago, with the belief that the social entreprise had a real chance to succeed in Georgia,” Goguadze told us. “We wanted our society to believe that it is possible to give new life to and develop one of the most important and picturesque parks of the city, which was left devastated and without function for too many years.”

The New Mziuri Cafe founder also spoke about the features that make the café special. “Our café is distinguished in concept, as well as in the multiplicity of entertaining and education events we host. It is adapted for everyone and creates a pleasant atmosphere for spending time with loved ones. I can firmly say that New Mziuri has become exemplary for the rest of the city,” Goguadze said.

We asked Anna about the importance of this award. “The award is very important for us, as it proves that our major goal has been achieved and the project recognized. It gives us more motivation to advance the social entreprise and implement other initiatives,” she said.

By Ketevan Kvaratskheliya