Georgian PM Vows Stricter Measures against Femicide
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said that the fight against femicide and violence against women needs a more complex approach. Femicide is the killing of a woman or girl, in particular by a man and on account of her gender.
The PM made the statement just before Women’s International Day, celebrated on March 8, and also referring to the recent case of femicide in Georgia’s town of Khashuri, where a woman of 25 was brutally stabbed by her ex-husband.
“We have seen eight women killed by a family member in the last two months and this is a very difficult picture; a problem that requires a complex approach, and all relevant agencies have an important role to play in this process. We need to take more active steps to combat this problem,” he said during a meeting conducted on the issue at the governmental administration on Saturday.
The PM mentioned that in recent years, the law has been tightened several times, and now gender-based crime is seen as an aggravating circumstance.
“Abuse-monitoring, risk assessment and restraining order enforcement systems have also been established. And while investigators are constantly trained, the situation requires coordinated action by all agencies,” he said.
The meeting also resulted in the decision to launch a far-reaching campaign for combating violence against women, with the engagement of the Interior Ministry, Chief Prosecutor's Office, Justice Ministry, Regional Development Ministry, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, the Office of the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, and the Administration of the Government.
The Prime Minister's Human Rights and Gender Equality Adviser Lela Akiashvili urged all state and public institutions, politicians, NGOs, representatives of the international community and the public, to join the campaign.
Akiashvili said the meeting was held under the aegis of the Human Rights Council and was attended by representatives of all relevant institutions involved in both the elimination of crime and in the development of social programs for survivors of violence.
“We spoke about our joint campaign. In light of the Prime Minister's statement, we expect all state and public institutions, politicians, NGOs, representatives of the international community, and the public at large to join us in this campaign in order for us to stand together and proclaim that we do not condone violence," she said.
At the end of the meeting, the participants emphasized the need for stronger coordination between state institutions and, at the same time, urged all members of society toward active engagement in the campaign designed to raise public awareness of the unacceptability of violence.
Moreover, before March 8, PM Gakharia took to his Facebook page and stressed that fighting violence against women is not only the responsibility of women, but all members of society.
The post reads that although Georgia has a good legislation and much has been done with a common effort, the fact is that even more effort is needed as the picture gets worse.
“In the last two months, eight women have been killed by their family members. Working together has produced some serious results, so all public agencies, civil society, media and international partners must continue to come together and fight this problem,” Gakharia said.
Last month, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili also condemned violence against women. She released a statement on femicide, emphasizing that any kind of violence against women is unacceptable and all cases of murder “are terrifying.”
Zurabishvili pointed out that when a woman is killed because she is a woman, it is a problem within society, and that the active involvement of the state and education system in culture and civic awareness-raising is crucial.
“It is necessary to raise public awareness. Joint work and efforts from state, public, and religious organizations are important to prevent violence,” the statement reads.
The non-governmental sector and Georgia’s Public Defender Nino Lomjaria have many times raised the issue of violence against women and the femicide rate in the country.
NGOs held a performance-rally on March 8 at the Tbilisi Concert Hall, expressing their protest and concern regarding the issue.
“This year, femicide has become an everyday issue. In just two months, eight women have been killed. We all tend to blame others for this, but femicide has become a social problem and it is time for each of us to feel responsible,” reads the statement released by the protesters.
By Tea Mariamidze
Image source: Imedi News