Tbilisi Mayor: joint efforts can "completely eliminate" violence, discrimination against women

Problems for gender equality still exist in Georgia but can be "completely eliminated" through joint efforts of the Government, civil society and the non-governmental sector, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze said at a conference organised by the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia on Tuesday.

Supporting gender equality is one of the main priorities for the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia. To this end, we [the City Hall and the Association] have created the Gender Equality Platform to further strengthen coordination between central and local Governments, as well as between the municipalities themselves,” Kaladze said.

Kaladze stressed the importance of the close cooperation between the NALAG, Governmental and non-governmental sectors, as well as international organisations. He also highlighted further cooperation of the association with Georgian Government and the Academy of the Ministry of Finance, which would be aimed at eliminating violence against women in the country.

Established at the joint initiative of the Council of Europe and European Commission in 2004, the NALAG aims at further developing the local self-government system, decentralising Government power throughout the country and developing local self-government institutions.