EU, FAO, UNFPA to celebrate Int’l Day of Rural Women in Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge

The village of Sakobiano in north-eastern Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge will celebrate International Day of Rural Women on Thursday, with international organisations supporting a series of trainings and discussions in the locality. 

Through the support of the European Union, under the European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development, the planned trainings will raise awareness on family planning, breast and cervical cancer screening, domestic violence, harmful practices and the role of gender equality in business.

The discussions are a part of the Inform, Educate, Empower initiative by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the United Nations Population Fund, the FAO said.

It also noted that working along with the United Nations Population Fund, it had already reached out to 294 rural women from different regions of Georgia involved in agriculture activities supported by the EU and FAO under the ENPARD programme.

The international date is celebrated on October 15, with the UN emphasising the importance of providing rural women with essential knowledge and skills to achieve substantial gender equality.

The EU supports rural development in Georgia through its ENPARD programme, launched in 2013 and utilising a budget of €179.5 million since then.

The first phase of ENPARD focused on developing national agriculture potential, while the second and third phases concentrate on creating economic opportunities for the rural population that go beyond agricultural activities.