UNFPA Georgia CO and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi Present Yes! Talks

On October 30, in the framework of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office and BENEXT Art & Fashion Foundation will sign the Memorandum of Understanding. The ceremony will take place at 12:00, at Stamba Hotel, Tbilisi. 

The MoU will be signed by Ms. Lela Bakradze – UNFPA Georgia Assistant Representative and Ms. Sofia Tchkonia - Founder of  BENEXT Foundation.

In the framework of the partnership, UNFPA Georgia CO and BENEXT Foundation will initiate the platform for public talks - Yes! – You Empower Society, which aims at raising public awareness on gender equality, harmful practices (early/child marriage, gender-biased sex selection), reproductive health and rights, and challenges faced by the girls and women. The series of talks will unite the fashion celebrities as well as representatives of various fields of art, experts and activists – those who believe in equality, and consider that the protection of the rights of girls and women, realization of their potential and investing in them creates the foundation for promoting sustainable development and building a democratic society.

Yes! – You Empower Society - is a part of the advocacy work that the UNFPA Georgia Country Office is carrying out for achieving gender equality, eliminating gender-based violence and harmful practices and ensuring the sexual and reproductive health and well-being of girls and women. By starting the series of talks, the UNFPA Georgia Country Office and BENEXT Art & Fashion Foundation are creating a new platform, which will facilitate initiation of a dialogue on many important topics, and in such way encourage the public to be more engaged and open regarding the topical issues that are often a taboo. It will also promote positive social norm changes to address these challenges.