Georgia - Reality: Women's Equal Rights & Equal Opportunities in Georgia

WUNRN
http://www.wunrn.com

Full Report is attached.

TAMAR SABEDASHVILI
National Project Coordinator

The Assessment of women’s de facto and de jure rights, Reality – Women’s
Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities in Georgia, has been carried out by
women’s non-governmental organizations and independent experts with the
support of UNIFEM Regional Project “Women for Conflict Prevention and
Peace-Building in the Southern Caucasus.” The Assessment provides an
analysis of the gender equality situation, with the hope that it will
improve the overall situation of women in Georgia. The Assessment is
addressed to a wide audience but in particular, to policy-makers, women’s
rights activists, donors, international organizations and academia – those
who are working to accelerate progress towards achievement of substantive
gender equality. The study determines the compliance of Georgia’s national
legislation with international human rights instruments, with particular
focus on the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW). The methodology utilized for the preparation of this
work drew from both theoretic rights, which are reflected in the legal
framework of Georgia, and the opinions and concerns of government, civil
society and women and men about the actual situation facing gender equality.

The Assessment looks at the gaps between de jure and real - de facto gender
equality in Georgia, specifically looking at five critical areas and
provides recommendations on how to address these gaps. The critical areas of
concern have been determined through a thorough desk research and in
consultations with scholars and activists in the field and are as follows:
the legal basis for gender equality; the status of women’s participation in
employment and economic life; women’s participation in political and public
decision-making; violence against women; and women’s rights to access
adequate housing. The Assessment’s conclusions under each critical area are
based on analysis of available data, as well as of the focus group
discussion held in the regions of Georgia.

Finally, the Assessment provides two sets of recommendations on how to close
the gap between de jure and de facto greater gender equality based on the
conclusions made. One set of recommendations foresees general legal and
policy measures, while the second one offers specific interventions and
actions at the national and local level. It is the hope of the authors and
supporters of this work that the Assessment’s findings and recommendations
will support the acceleration of progress towards improved social justice
and gender equality in Georgia.

This Assessment was prepared through the support of the United Nations
Development Fund for Women’s (UNIFEM) Regional Project “Women for Conflict
Prevention and Peace-Building in Southern Caucasus”, which is funded by the
Governments of Finland and Sweden.