Women’s role in electoral processes and in democracy building highlighted at DataFest Tbilisi

In Georgia, women represent more than half of the population - 52 per cent; however, their meaningful and equal participation in politics and electoral processes remains a significant challenge. Notably, Georgia lags behind the average indicators of Eastern European and Central Asian countries in terms of women’s political participation, with one of the lowest rankings among the European States. According to IPU Parline data, the share of elected female MPs in the regions of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia exceeds 25 per cent on average, while this figure is 19 per cent in the case of Georgia.

Female voter turnout also remains a challenge: According to the Central Election Commission’s data regarding the 2020 parliamentary elections, there are up to 1.9 million registered female voters in Georgia, which is 7.2 per cent more than the number of male voters; however, the turnout among men has been higher in every election held in recent years, although the right to participate in political life begins with active suffrage - the right to vote.

Promoting respective data and their dissemination in an accessible and user-friendly format can significantly contribute to initiating discussions on the problem, developing the right public opinion and increasing women’s participation in electoral and political processes in general. This was the main focus of the panel discussion arranged on 19 September as part of this year’s DataFest Tbilisi, held in collaboration with UN Women.

Organized by ForSet, DataFest Tbilisi is the largest data festival throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Every year, it brings together those working in the field of data science and visualization. Guests of the festival attend thematic talks and seminars, and there are hackathons and meetings arranged on important issues. Georgia will hold important parliamentary elections on 26 October, so DataFest Tbilisi 2024 was mainly dedicated to the elections and related topics.

In collaboration with UN Women, a panel discussion was dedicated to the importance of women’s involvement in elections, associated barriers and challenges, and global and local experiences and perspectives. Participants of the discussion talked about the significance of women’s participation in politics and elections as being an essential driver for democratic processes and progress, in addition to discussing activism and its trends, the role of mobilizing female voters, international cases and other relevant issues.

“This discussion was an insightful opportunity for us to explore the historical perspective and women’s special contribution to Georgia’s political and economic life,” said Irakli Takalandze, one of the guests of DataFest Tbilisi. “The efforts by women have significantly contributed to building inclusive and sustainable democracy in our country. The discussion once again emphasized how necessary it is to take down gender barriers and showed that women’s voices should be heard more distinctly in electoral processes.”

The panel discussion was held within the framework of UN Women’s project “Women’s Increased Leadership for Democracy in Georgia” (WILD), generously supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).