Project:

Women’s Political ParticipationWomen’s Political Participation

International Gender Policy Network

Women’s Fund and Memory Research Center (GEORGIA)

Country Background - GEORGIA:Country Background - GEORGIA:

• Representation of women in the Parliament of Georgia - 4,9%4,9%

• Representation of women in local self governance bodies – 11,9%11,9%

Country Background - GEORGIA:Country Background - GEORGIA:

• Poverty & political ignorance of the majority of population;

• No governmental political will or public demand for gender equality;

• Gender Equality Law drafted and to be heard at the Parliament;

• Women’s political participation regarded as a less priority – despite the years’ long activism of several women’s NGOs in the field.

Working on databaseWorking on database

3 options used:

• Our current /ex-grantee women, partners;

• Our partner women as mediators in their localities;

• Including other experienced NGOs in collecting the data for database

Distribution of women according to political party Distribution of women according to political party affiliationaffiliation

• Non-party women – 54

• Party member women – 52

(106 out of 140 applications received were included in the database. We are still working for increasing the number of women registered at database.)

Database includes range of women from very Database includes range of women from very experienced to beginnersexperienced to beginners

REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF WOMEN IN DATABASE

Tbilisi (capital) 44

Shida Kartli 14

Kakheti 15

Samtskhe Javakheti 18

Imereti 3

Guria 2

Samegrelo 2

Kvemo Kartli 3

Adjara 4

Racha 1

Special attention was paid to the women from remote areas – the selection criteria were “softened” in order to include them in the database

Presentation of the WPP Presentation of the WPP Project at Karaleti Project at Karaleti

Women’s Center for Women’s Center for Community Community

Development and Development and Combating violenceCombating violence

attended by:• Local women included in the

database;• Other socially active women;• Representatives of local self

governance and media

Presentation of WWP at Presentation of WWP at Georgian Public Defender's OfficeGeorgian Public Defender's Office

Participants:• Women’s NGO leaders

and experts;• Members of 5 political

parties;• Gender Focal Point of

Public Defender’s Office

Special screenings at presentationsSpecial screenings at presentations

To emphasize our vision of WPP a short documentary Blackberry was screened at both presentations. The documentary made by TF in 2009 depicts both rural women’s problems articulated by themselves and high potential of women.

Findings and future plansFindings and future plans

• The space for dialogue between political parties and women’s NGOs should be created;

• We should find common language to deliver our values, vision and objectives to political parties;

• To increase women’s political participation, besides working for women’s empowerment, it is necessary to be in steady and purposeful dialogue with political parties.

Project extensions and plansProject extensions and plans

Successful cooperation with UNDP Project Gender and Politics.

20 women from database were supported by Taso Foundation to participate in UNDP training sessions

Project extensionsProject extensions

• TF included additional trainings on Women’s Political Participation in educational program of its project Karaleti Women’s Center for Community Development and Combating Violence (conflict zone);

PlansPlans

• Women’s Political Participation will be one of the main topics in educational program for IDPs and conflict affected women in frames of Taso Foundation upcoming 3-year project supported by UNIFEM

• TF plans to arrange meetings of rural women from the database with leaders of different political parties in order to increase women’s participation in upcoming local council election in May 2010

Thank You!