Ongoing discussions on achievements and challenges with localization of National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security in Georgia
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The localization of the 2018-2020 National Action Plan (NAP) for the Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security is actively being implemented in Georgia.
On 13 and 14 May 2019, with the support of UN Women and the U.S. Department of State, a coalition of three civil society organizations - the IDP Women’s Association “Consent”, the Women’s Information Center and the Cultural-Humanitarian Fund “Sukhumi” - held a two-day conference to discuss the implementation process of the NAP on Women, Peace and Security at the local level.
The conference brought together representatives of central and local governments, NGOs and community-based organizations with internally displaced and conflict-affected women and girls from the 10 municipalities where the NAP is being localized (Dusheti, Gori, Kareli, Kaspi, Khashuri, Sachkhere, Stepantsminda, Tsalenjikha, Tskaltubo and Zugdidi).
The main purpose of the conference was to discuss and resolve problematic issues identified by the women and girls as a result of the NAP localization. Many issues were emphasized, among them human security at the dividing line, durable housing for IDPs, access to health-care services, and the need to improve sanitary conditions at schools and kindergartens.
While talking about the challenges faced by the local population, Ana Lomidze, a student and activist from the village of Chorchana (Khashuri Municipality) located 100 metres from the dividing line, emphasized issues in need of improvement, such as road infrastructure, the water supply system and the outpatient clinic in the village, as well as telephone and Internet connectivity. She also underlined the need to provide more opportunities to the local population, namely youth, to live in safety and have access to development opportunities.
The second day of the conference saw the representatives of the local and regional governments, as well as NGOs from the Donetsk, Lugansk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine (on a study visit) and their Georgian counterparts, sharing their experiences on localizing the NAP on Women, Peace and Security.
UN Women continues to support the localization process in target municipalities in order to translate the policy from the central to the local level, thus improving its implementation.