Over the last week, the three Field Offices of the EU Monitoring Mission have organised a range of activities and events to mark International Women’s Day.
On 7 March Field Office Gori had a video screening called “Know Your Rights!”, which aimed at raising awareness about women’s property and inheritance rights in Georgia. It was followed by presentations and discussions together with representatives of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association and the NGO ‘Consent’. The event was attended by students from Gori University, Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) and people from villages along the Administrative Boundary Line.
Field Office Mtskheta also hosted a video screening on women’s property rights on 7 March. In coordination with local NGO ‘For a Better Future’, they organised a fair of fine handicrafts made by local women in the Tserovani IDP settlement. To promote a healthy lifestyle a bicycle race was also organised. On the 8 March International Womens Day was celebrated in Dusheti, by an event jointly organised by Field Office Mtskheta and the NGO ‘Khvaramze’ that seeks to provide disabled people with skills to make handicrafts. Local schoolchildren presented a show of music, poetry and dance performances.On 9 March monitors from Field Office Zugdidi, together with the EUMM Head of Operations/Acting Chief of Staff Clive Trott were invited onto the Odishi TV morning show. The monitors described what it meant for them as women to work for EUMM, and spoke about their previous experiences in other Missions and in their home countries. Opportunities and challenges for women in terms of careers and equal rights were also discussed. The important contribution made by women to the peace process all around the world was underlined.
External link: A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women - International Womens day 2013 (EEAS)