First point of call for domestic violence victims:
New crisis centre opens in Tbilisi
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The country’s first crisis centre for victims of domestic violence has opened in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi.
The new support centre will provide a range of services to people in need of immediate help, including shelter and medical support.
The crisis centre was officially opened today by Georgia’s Minister of Labour, Health and Social Affairs David Sergeenko together with representatives from United Nations (UN) Women and the Swedish Development Agency.
The crisis centre is located on Budapest St 28,Vake-Saburtalo district, hot-line 116. Photo by the Ministry of Health.
Sergeenko praised the opening of the new centre and said it was extremely important victims of family violence had a place to go where they could get immediate help.
"Before victims [lodge a complaint] and gain official status as a victim and receive state support, they can come here and access a range of services, which includes psychological and medical support, as well as shelter,” said the Georgian official.
A room for a victim of family violence in the crisis centre. Photo by the Ministry of Health.
The new centre can house up to 14 people and can cater for people with disabilities.
The centre was renovated into an appropriate space using finances from the State Fund for the Protection and Assistance of (Statutory) Victims of Human Trafficking, and was fitted out with furniture and other equipment by UN Women.
Dubravka Simonovic, who was on her first official visit to Georgia, said violence against women should be spoken about in society instead of it being regarded as "private, family business”.
Georgia’s Minister of Internal Affairs Aleksandre Tchikaidze is pledging the country will intensify its efforts to stop domestic violence in Georgia.
Of the almost 4,000 people questioned, two thirds (68 percent) believed there was no gender equality in the country, women were poorly represented in Parliament and having more women in leading roles would have a positive impact on the country.
Georgia’s Minister of Health, Labour and Social Affairs has been elected as a new member of the Executive Board of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Georgia’s Interior Minister Giorgi Mgebrishvili is calling on all victims of domestic violence to speak out and seek help.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia says that people phone police for family violence cases more frequently than in previous years. The Deputy Interior Minister of Georgia Natia Mezvrishvili said that several police officers have been dismissed for committing domestic violence.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has stated that due to the steps taken by them femicide cases has been decreased by 58 per cent in 2018.