Georgian Reconciliation Minister discusses role of women in conflict prevention, peaceful resolution with UN Women Rep

The Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) has released a statement about human rights challenges in Georgia on International Human Rights Day which is marked today.

EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell has stated that a lot of progress has been made in Georgia, noting that ‘a lot of work is still needed to build a solid human rights culture and to avoid any backsliding on results achieved.’

Three women’s rights activists – Baia Pataraia, Eliso Rukhadze and Tozu Gulmamedli – have been awarded the Kato Mikeladze Award from the Women’s Fund for their dedication to gender equality and women’s rights protection in Georgia. 

Women human rights defenders involved in activism in Georgia are set to be honoured in Tbilisi in the latest edition of the Kato Mikeladze Award, with the awards ceremony organised by Women’s Fund in Georgia set to select the recipient out of 10 nominees on Monday.

Plans for strengthening the capacities of the protection of human rights and agencies of the Interior Ministry were on the agenda of a meeting between Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, the Georgian Deputy Interior Minister, and Kaori Ishikawa, the United Nations Women Country Representative in Georgia, on Tuesday.

Tea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, discussed the humanitarian situation in Georgia’s Russian-occupied breakaway regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) with Nick Beresford, the UNDP Resident Representative in Georgia, on Thursday.

The security, humanitarian and human rights situation in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) on the backdrop of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine were in focus of a meeting between Tea Akhvlediani, Georgia’s State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, Lasha Darsalia, the Deputy Foreign Minister, and Ruslan Abashidze, the Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia on Thursday.

Italian Embassy in Tbilisi, along with the Council of Europe (CoE) office in Georgia, hosted a conference to discuss and raise awareness about the means of ending violence against women and girls on March 25.

The security, humanitarian and human rights situation in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions of  Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) on the backdrop of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine were in focus of a meeting  between Tea Akhvlediani, Georgia’s State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality and a group of United States officials Anne Witkowsky, the Assistant Secretary of State for Conflict and Stablisation Operations, and Leslie Ziman, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration in the Department of State on Friday. 

Tea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, on Thursday highlighted the “foundational” significance of promoting knowledge of state language in comments marking the Georgian Language Day, at awards for graduates of a programme of ambassadors of state language. 

The ongoing strategic review of the Government’s reconciliation and engagement policies was discussed by Tea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, with women and young people living in the villages of western Georgia's Zugdidi municipality,  near the line separating the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region from the Georgian-controlled territory, the Ministry announced on Friday.

Existing priorities and future plans for reconciliation and involvement, as well as civic equality and integration were discussed in a meeting between Tea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality and Margareta Cederfelt, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, on Saturday.

The legislation to prevent violence against women and domestic violence, as well as protection and assistance to victims, and the legislative changes required to be implemented, were discussed on Tuesday by Georgian Parliament members of the Gender Equality Council and the representatives of the United States Embassy.

On Wednesday, the Georgian Parliament’s Gender Equality Council and Committee on Human Rights, along with the representatives of partner organisations, discussed the 9th recommendation, concerning gender equality, of the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status.

Tea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, on Thursday visited the central Shida Kartli region to discuss the needs of the conflict-affected population living near the occupation line separating the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region from the rest of the country, the state body said.

Parliaments can make a “significant” contribution to women's empowerment, “gender-sensitive” parliaments can implement relevant changes and build more equal, sustainable societies, the Georgian parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili said on Wednesday during his speech at the 145th Inter-Parliamentary Union assembly in Rwanda.

Tea Akhvlediani, the Georgian state minister for reconciliation and civil equality, on Sunday discussed the implementation of reconciliation and inclusion of conflict-affected communities in the country, as well as questions of cooperation, with ambassadors and international organisation representatives.

Tea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality on Friday briefed John Pennell, the Mission Director of the United States Agency for International Development, on the activities and results of the State Minister’s Office in 2022.

Cooperation between the Georgian Interior Ministry and the United Nations Women Organisation and milestones achieved within it were in focus of a meeting between Georgia’s Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze and Kaori Ishikawa, the Country Representative of UN Women Georgia on Friday.

Khatia Gogaladze has become the first woman to be appointed as the 1st Lieutenant and Infantry Company Commander in the Georgian Defence Forces, the United Nations agency - UN Women Georgia said on Friday.