Policewomen cordon during trial of opposition member stirs discussions on gender

A cordon made by policewomen during a noisy trial of opposition member David Kirkitadze in the Gurjaani court in eastern Georgia has stirred more controversies that the trial itself.

Leaders of several NGOs protecting women’s rights stated that the cordon was deliberately made by female law enforcers to avoid tension and that the step was “sexist” on the part of the Interior Ministry.

Feminist activists Ana Kamladze and Baia Pataraia have also  criticised opposition leader Zaal Udumashvili who called upon the police to “dress children in police uniforms” during the trial.

Opposition activists protesting the detention of Kirkitadze for alleged abuse of police handed flowers to the policewomen and after they refused to take them, the activists attached the flowers to a nearby fence.

Flowers attached on the fence. Photo: on.ge. 

The Prime Minister’s Advisor for Human Rights Sophio Japaridze wrote that the opposition tried to diminish the women’s role and their professional abilities through comparing them with children or giving them flowers.

The activists gave flowers only to female law enforcers and not the policeman who stood behind the policewomen. In doing so, the opposition activities actually told the police women that their place is not in the police and that they can only play the role of peace pigeons”, Japaridze said, and added that she would also be displeased if the policewomen had been deliberately tasked to stand in the front line in order to avoid tension with the motivation that the activists would not have insulted them as women.

Deputy Interior Minister Natia Mezvrishvili stated that she will look into the issue, but said that “I think that gender is not important, as there are equal standards for male and female law enforcers in the body.”

Female law enforcers can do absolutely the same tasks as male law enforcers”, she said.

The court has sent Kirkitadze to pre-trial detention, which was followed by critical statements from the opposition against the government.

The opposition leaders stated that the verdict will be appealed and the protest rallies supporting Kirkitadze will continue.

Two other individuals have been charged today with abusing police on  the inauguration day on 16 December.