New Campaign Launched To Protect Women From Sexual Harassment

TBILISI- Safari Union, a group of activists committed to the ongoing implementation of equality laws and safer streets in Georgia, have initiated a campaign against sexual harassment in public spaces in Georgia.

On January 21, they unveiled a legislative proposal on this matter, based on research they had compiled. This meeting was attended by a number of non-governmental organisations as well as the Public Defenders office.

The proposal, based upon research conducted by the organization, aims at regulating sexual harassment, specifically in public places. Union Safari essentially want to try to combat this by educating people on the wide-spread issue of sexual harassment towards women by offering lectures to students at schools and universities, together with publications of stories from victims of sexual harassment, to help widen awareness of this seldom talked about issue facing some women in Georgia.

Currently, there is little in place legally to support women who may have become victims of sexual harassment, with the activists looking for a legislative penalty to be put in to place, and as such they want to make amendments to the Administrative Code, which works towards regulating public spaces.

Union Safari’s legislative package sets out what {it believes} should be defined at sexual harassment and thus the penalty it should receive.

 A first offense would be punishable by a fine of 200–1,000lari ($75–$380) or 15 days in prison. For repeated offences over the course of a year, a maximum fine of 1000lari ($380) or 15 days in prison would be imposed, whilst for offences committed against a minor or a vulnerable adult, a fine of at least 500lari or 15 days in prison would be imposed.

After the meeting had concluded, members of Union Safari presented the Fabrika bar/cafe on Ninoshvili street with an ‘anti sexual harassment’ stencil

A large part of the combating this issue is by getting women to talk about their experiences, as many Georgian women may feel scared to speak out about an otherwise taboo subject. Whilst other countries may indeed see higher numbers of reported sexual harassment numbers, this does not mean Georgian women are not being faced with the same injustice, and legislative proposals such as this are a slow but indeed essential start to ensuring public spaces remain regulated and safe for members of the public.

Have you been a victim of harassment in public spaces in Georgia? Do you feel as if the above legislative proposal will help to combat the issue? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below or on our Facebook page

Tamzin Whitewood