Hearing the voices of women from conflict-affected regions

Internally displaced and conflict-affected women met with representatives from the Office of the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, the State Security Service and the Interim Governmental Commission on the needs of persons living across the Administrative Boundary Line.

With UN Women’s facilitation, women residents from nine villages (Flavi, Flavismani, Akhalubani, Tirdznisi, Ergneti, Karaleti, Nikozi, Koshka, Knolevi) adjacent to the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) of Shida Kartli Region shared their concerns with the state officials.

During the meeting, the government representatives briefed the women about the outcomes of previous Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meetings and shared agenda items for the next IPRM discussions. The women, in turn, shared their social, economic and security concerns and advocated that the priorities of the ABL villages bevoiced at IPRM discussions and reflected in the future work of state institutions. Some of the main issues raised by the women included the lack of access to public transportation, lack of sanitation and hygiene at public schools, contamination of drinking water, and limited access to socio-psychological consultations and health services for women.

Otar Konjaria, representing the Interim Governmental Commission, stated that concerns voiced at the meeting will be studied and addressed while planning future government interventions. Affirming the value of the exchange, Zviad Zviadadze, Head of the Department on Issues of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia and Former Region of South Ossetia and Civic Integration at OSMRCE, noted: "The dialogue with women at the grass-roots level has proved highly important and informative, and we are committed to continuing such an exchange. "It was also agreed that the provided recommendations will be carefully examined by the Ministries while identifying targets and activities under the new National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (2018-2020).

Initiated by UN Women in 2013, these information-sharing meetings have become a well-established platform for regular dialogue between civil society representatives and IPRM participants. Since 2016, these consultation meetings have been chaired by the OSMRCE, with technical support from UN Women.