Parliament of Georgia Encourage Participation of Women in Politics

TBILISI. 21 February 2017 – The Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia hosted a reception on February 21, 2017, to welcome newly elected women MPs and reiterate Parliament’s commitment to promoting equal opportunities for men and women.

Under the theme We All Gain with More Women in Politics and Economy, the reception was organized with assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Government of Sweden, as part of the Sweden-funded programme for gender equality in Georgia.

Irakli Kobakhidze, Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia opened the event with welcome remarks. Niels Scott, Head of UNDP in Georgia, and Martina Quick, Ambassador of Sweden to Georgia, addressed representatives of the Parliament and Government of Georgia, civil society and international organizations. Tamar Chugoshvili, First Vice Speaker of Parliament of Georgia and Chair of the Gender Equality Council, presented an overview of the priorities and plans of the Gender Equality Council.

Women are holding 23 seats in the ninth Parliament of Georgia, 15 percent of the overall number of MPs. In the run-up to local elections in 2017, the Gender Equality Council of the Parliament of Georgia, assisted by the Government of Sweden and UNDP, will pay particular attention to empowering women candidates and breaking gender barriers in Georgian politics.