UN: Georgia's Progress on Gender Equality

The voice of Georgian women was strong this week at a regional meeting organized at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva. The event brought together representatives of the 56 countries that are members of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) to review progress and identify challenges in achieving gender equality across the region. Georgian participants included representatives of the Government Administration, the Parliament’s Gender Equality Council, Bolnisi Municipality and civil society. Georgian examples also featured prominently in the regional report prepared for the occasion.

The discussion opened with a powerful video statement made by six prominent Georgian figures – politicians, civic activists, researchers, and artists – to highlight the political and economic challenges faced by women in Georgia and demand an end to gender stereotypes and greater equality in all areas of life.

“Georgia’s statehood stands on the principles of equality and human rights,” said Natalia Jaliashvili, Head of the Human Rights Secretariat at Georgia’s Government Administration. “We are moving forward in carrying out democratic reforms, but we also acknowledge the remaining gaps, including the need to address gender-based violence and the low levels of political and economic participation of Georgian women,” stated the Head of the Human Rights Secretariat at Georgia’s Government Administration.

Georgian participation was also prominent in one of the conference’s main sessions, which was dedicated to closing gender gaps through effective economic and social policies.

These events were part of a much larger program taking place over two days at the Palais des Nations. The regional gathering, organized by UNECE and the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, was designed as a preparatory event for the global review of the landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action that takes place in March 2020 in New York, at the 64th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. National reports prepared by all signatory countries to the Beijing Declaration will feed into a global report that will assess the implementation of the Declaration across its 12 priority areas of concern. The 2020 review marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action as well as the first five-year milestone in the period dedicated to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

By Nini Dakhundaridze
Image source: thelocal.ch