Georgia’s female leaders encouraged to participate in 2016 parliamentary elections

Georgia’s female leaders living in rural areas will be better educated of their political and civil rights and understand the importance of female engagement in the election process for the upcoming 2016 parliamentary elections.

For this purpose a special training was held for rural leaders in Telavi, an administrative centre of Georgia's eastern Kakheti province on August 16-19, led by the Women’s Information Centre’s new project Informed Society and Gender-Based Democracy in Election Process.

Female leaders from Shida Kartli region’s four target municipalities participated in the four-day training. 

Communication Specialist of the Women’s Information Centre's project Salome Modebadze told Agenda.ge the Shida Kartli region was chosen to host the project because the region had poor female election engagement in the last election. It was also chosen because the area was a conflict zone where more than 16,500 internally displaced persons lived; 8,231 men and 8,597 women.

Female leaders from Shida Kartli region’s four target municipalities participated in the four-day training. 

In the next stage of the project the female leaders will have the opportunity to discuss issues of their communities with political parties participating in the upcoming elections.

The women were introduced to the election strategy of the Central Election Administration, while gender issues and gender equality were some of the main topics of discussions. The trainers also discussed gender stereotypes and the participants analysed the roles of women and men in politics, gender aspects of labour and the importance of women’s political participation.

At the training the women also learnt ways of successful communication and effective public speaking.

The project is being carried out with support of the Central Election Commission's LEPL Centre of Electoral Systems Development, Reforms and Trainings and aimed to raise awareness of the rights and roles of rural women in politics. The trainings covered their political and civil rights and their engagement in the election process in the Shida Kartli region for the upcoming 2016 parliamentary elections.