Meetings with communities in Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli regions on violence against women and domestic violence

Holding in-person meetings with local communities in the regions is one of the most effective ways of raising awareness in the process of providing accurate information about the issue of violence against women and domestic violence, as well as a way of preventing and addressing this problem. For this purpose, UN Women, alongside with its partners, regularly visits the regions of Georgia within the framework of various projects.

This time, as part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, UN Women, together with the Swedish and United States embassies, the State Fund for Protection and Assistance of (Statutory) Victims of Human Trafficking, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Legal Aid Service of Georgia, visited the regions of Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli.

Meetings were held for five days in Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli with the communities living in Akhaltsikhe, Sviri, Boga, Toloshi, Nakalakevi, Kartikami, Buzaveti, Akhalkalake, Jandari, Krtsanisi, Nakhiduri and Bolnisi. The meetings aimed at raising awareness about violence against women and domestic violence and the ways it can be prevented. Local residents were also introduced to the services that the State is offering to the victims and survivors of violence. Within the framework of this campaign, a total of 190 people (85 per cent of whom were women) attended the meetings.

“All of us were excited to have these meeting,” said Tamuna Shubitidze, from the village of Sviri, who is a community worker of the TASO Foundation and also takes an active part in UN Women initiatives. “We got a lot of new information about restraining orders, electronic [monitoring] bracelets, crisis centres, legal and psychological counselling, and the domestic violence hotline 116 006. Most importantly, the participants consisted of active women from the communities—the people whom many fellow villagers reach out to if they are in need, which means that they will disseminate this information among the population as well.”

It should be noted that during the visit, meetings were held with representatives of the local non-governmental sector, local government and social services, and students and teachers of Akhaltsikhe, Gardabani and Bolnisi municipalities.

The visit was supported by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the United States Embassy, Sweden and UN Women.