On 17 July, EUMM Field Office Zugdidi hosted a seminar ”Women, Peace and Security in Georgia”. The aim of the seminar was for different actors – representatives from official authorities as well as from the civil society – to come together and share experiences on the implementation of UNSCR 1325 and 1820. 60 guests from the Armed Forces, the Police, non-governmental organizations and international organizations took part. A delegation from the visiting EU Troika also visited the seminar.
The keynote speaker, H.E. Mr. Pierre SCHORI, a Swedish diplomat with vast experience in foreign affairs, development cooperation and peacekeeping operations, focused on the importance of gender mainstreaming in the peace building process. He emphasized that gender awareness is crucial in order to address the entire population and not only one half of it.
The second speaker, Ms. Meri Gelashvili from the Cultural-Humanitarian Fund Sukhumi, focused on the lack of gender equality in governmental bodies in Georgia, as well as the need to prevent domestic violence and to protect the victims of such violence.
The different and quite clear gender roles during and post conflict, and the burdens that women in particular have to carry, were addressed by Ms. Darjan Gabedava, deputy Gamgebeli in Zugdidi district.
A fruitful panel discussion followed, in which the significance of the civil society was mentioned as a powerful tool to make the government accelerate the fulfillment of its obligations by implementing UNSCRs 1325 and 1820, which both have been signed by Georgia. Furthermore, the need for sex- and age-disaggregated data was mentioned. In order to properly address the special needs of men and women such statistics are essential. The need for decision-making bodies to acknowledge the special difficulties that disabled women are facing was also mentioned.
The seminar was thought to be the first of its kind in Zugdidi and will be followed-up by the EUMM Field Office there.
The keynote speaker, H.E. Mr. Pierre SCHORI, a Swedish diplomat with vast experience in foreign affairs, development cooperation and peacekeeping operations, focused on the importance of gender mainstreaming in the peace building process. He emphasized that gender awareness is crucial in order to address the entire population and not only one half of it.
The second speaker, Ms. Meri Gelashvili from the Cultural-Humanitarian Fund Sukhumi, focused on the lack of gender equality in governmental bodies in Georgia, as well as the need to prevent domestic violence and to protect the victims of such violence.
The different and quite clear gender roles during and post conflict, and the burdens that women in particular have to carry, were addressed by Ms. Darjan Gabedava, deputy Gamgebeli in Zugdidi district.
A fruitful panel discussion followed, in which the significance of the civil society was mentioned as a powerful tool to make the government accelerate the fulfillment of its obligations by implementing UNSCRs 1325 and 1820, which both have been signed by Georgia. Furthermore, the need for sex- and age-disaggregated data was mentioned. In order to properly address the special needs of men and women such statistics are essential. The need for decision-making bodies to acknowledge the special difficulties that disabled women are facing was also mentioned.
The seminar was thought to be the first of its kind in Zugdidi and will be followed-up by the EUMM Field Office there.
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