Public perceptions about gender equality in Georgia: New study presented by UN Women

A new UN Women-supported study explores the attitudes of the population of Georgia towards gender equality and measures the prevalence of gender-based stereotypes contributing to gender inequality in the country.

The Gender Equality Attitudes Study (GEAS) in Georgia reveals that almost every person over the age of 16 in the country (95 per cent) shares at least one gender stereotype about women’s employment, while more than 75 per cent share such stereotypes about women’s political participation, violence against women and the distribution of roles in the family. Notably, as showcased by the results, women, young people, employed individuals and those with higher education are more likely to support gender equality and women’s empowerment than others.

The GEAS was presented on 18 March 2025 at a conference held in Tbilisi on ‘Gender Equality Perceptions in Georgia: Findings of the Latest Study’, alongside other thematically related studies from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The conference echoed the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, ‘For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment’, and representatives of international organizations, civil society, academia and the private sector attended the event.

“The UN strongly supports the protection of the rights of girls and women in Georgia and the achievement of substantial gender equality,” said Didier Trebucq, UN Resident Coordinator in Georgia, at the event. “We stand in solidarity with all women and girls. We call for concrete steps to promote their rights and create more opportunities so that Georgia can build a future where no one is left behind with regard to development and success. Empowering and supporting the younger generation is an integral part of this vision, as young people are drivers of sustainable change.”

The findings of the study suggest that a majority of Georgia’s population (83 per cent) agrees that having a paid job is the best way for a woman to be an independent person. However, paradoxically, 71 per cent believe that women should work less and devote more time to family care. At the same time, 69 per cent of the population believes that when a mother works for pay, her children suffer, while only 16 per cent agree that children suffer when their father works. Moreover, 63 per cent of the population believes that increased involvement of women in politics would benefit the country, while 49 per cent thinks that family obligations are the biggest obstacles to women’s engagement in politics.

Notably, the study revealed a difference between individuals’ attitudes and their perception of the social norms held by the public. At the individual level, the views of the population of Georgia on gender equality are more progressive than their perceptions and expectations of how society thinks about various issues on gender equality.

For example, 91 per cent of the public believes that there are no acceptable circumstances under which a person could hit their partner, but fewer people (78 per cent) agree that their community thinks the same. Moreover, 74 per cent of the public disagrees that violence between a husband and wife is a private matter and that others should not intervene, while fewer individuals (59 per cent) agree that the majority of people in their community hold the same opinion. Only 42 per cent of respondents agree with the traditional view that a man should be the primary income earner in the family while a woman’s job is to care for the family. However, the majority (57 per cent) believes that most people in Georgia support this statement.

The GEAS was conducted by CRRC-Georgia from January to February 2024, commissioned by UN Women. This research study is part of the UN Women project “Women’s Increased Leadership for Democracy in Georgia” (WILD), generously supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).