OSCE exhibition pays tribute to Georgian women of First Democratic Republic

An exhibition at a headquarters of the largest regional security organisation in Europe is celebrating the history of Georgian women in the country’s First Democratic Republic a century ago.

In Warsaw, at an office of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, 50 female figures from the 19th century Georgia and particularly the 1918-1921 republic are being marked.

The display is hosted at the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights headquarters of the OSCE and was launched on Monday.

ODIHR hosts exhibition in Warsaw celebrating prominent #women of 19th and 20th-century #Georgiahttps://t.co/LOlKXLTl95pic.twitter.com/d1VoJOkexS

— OSCE/ODIHR (@osce_odihr) June 12, 2018

It highlights the women in the late 19th to early 20th centuries and featured in political, social and cultural events of the three-year democratic state, which promoted women’s participation in public life.

Georgian women obtained voting rights, were elected to the Founding Congress of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, studied at European universities and actively promoted social, political and civil rights for women”, said an introduction for the display.

Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir, ODIHR Director, paid tribute to the legacy of the historical figures in her comments about the opening.

It would be interesting to know what their expectations were as regards the status of women in our time”, she noted.

The exhibits were selected for the display from museums, private and state archives by the Heinrich Boell Foundation’s office in South Caucasus.

The Warsaw display is part of events marking the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of independence of the First Democratic Republic of Georgia.

The centennial has been celebrated with occasions in Georgia and abroad, with events set to run throughout the rest of the year.