In the words of Nutsa Grigalashvili: “Women’s unity is a powerful force”
Nutsa Grigalashvili, 28, is a psychologist, co-founder of the Georgian Professional Association of Psychologists and member of the International Society of Political Psychology. She works as a practising psychologist at the Komarovi School of Physics and Mathematics, is studying psychotherapy at the Georgian National Gestalt Institute to obtain European accreditation, and simultaneously lectures at several universities. Nutsa holds a master’s degree in political psychology. Her deep interest in the field led her to participate in the Women’s Leadership Academy in 2024. The initiative was implemented by UN Women in partnership with the Eastern European Centre for Multiparty Democracy (EECMD) to support women leaders. The Women’s Leadership Academy was part of the UN Women project “Women’s Increased Leadership for Democracy in Georgia” (WILD), funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
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“When the Rose Revolution happened in Georgia in 2003, I was a child, but the event had such a strong impact on me that I developed a keen interest in politics from a very young age. Later, when I began studying psychology, I realized that even if I helped people individually, political-level change was also necessary. That’s why I eventually enrolled in a master’s programme in political psychology.
We live in a masculine world. This inequality is evident in many places: Unlike boys, girls are not raised to be leaders from childhood, [and] they’re not told that they’re born for success. In private schools, where the quality of education is higher, boys are admitted more often than girls. I’ve also seen decision-making positions occupied by men, while in reality, the work in those organizations is carried out by women, who then go home and begin their ‘second shift’. Unpaid care work is still largely considered a woman’s responsibility, and naturally, such a burden depletes their resources.
Unfortunately, participating actively in public and political life puts significant pressure on women. I believe that this reality must change - by raising awareness, improving working conditions and boosting women’s confidence. Indeed, women have a decisive role to play in this process, but we also need mutual support. That’s why I would wish for greater solidarity among women on the path to change.
One of my motivations for joining the Women’s Leadership Academy, beyond the lecture topics, was to meet like-minded women among the participants. I was very interested in hearing the experiences of women of different ages and professions. When the project ended, I realized that the Academy had given us the chance to see how many women are working for the well-being of society and to become reliable support systems for one another. Women’s unity is a powerful force. When you become part of all this, you feel you’re not fighting alone for equality and a better country: You have allies, and that gives you even more motivation to do more.
In my opinion, if women were equally involved in decision-making processes, societal well-being would significantly improve, and most importantly, we’d have true peace around the world. It’s important that women themselves believe this and build the confidence to act on it. That’s why I always try to help girls strengthen their belief in themselves - I deliver every lecture with that motivation. I believe that even one woman’s effort can lead to a shift in awareness.”