In April, a new project was presented for representatives of local self-government and civil activists of the municipalities of Terjola, Vani, Bagdati, Senaki, Chokhatauri, Kobuleti, Tkibuli, Samtredia. These meetings showed that there is no psychologist in the municipalities and everyone is happy to cooperate.
In addition to presentations, consulting work was actively carried out. The psychologist received 61 calls from Kutaisi and the regions. Meetings were held with married couples and crisis familie. The office hosted individual consultations and psychotherapy sessions with victims of violence. The new project is gradually entering the force.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
Presentation of the project “Strengthening the Women’s Rights in Western Georgia” was held in Tkibuli. The Fund "Sukhumi" starts active work in this direction in Tkibuli municipality for the first time. The presentation was attended by representatives of local government, civil activists, teachers, parents. The emphasis was placed on the problem of domestic violence and the prospect of cooperation with local structures.
According to the meeting participants, identification of the problem will be possible through and the degree of their solution and prevention will be increased.
The Fund "Sukhumi" started intensive work with Chokhatauri municipality for the first time. The first meeting - presentation of the project - was attended by representatives of local government and civil society activists. The conversation concerned the issues that are envisaged in the project: protecting women's rights, strengthening families, preventing domestic violence, supporting the victim, responding to gender problems.
Representatives of the municipality believe that three-year cooperation will contribute to the strengthening of local gender policy and will give positive results.
One of the Women's Support Centers of the Fund "Sukhumi" has been actively working in Kobuleti during a year. The center will be even more actively involved in the new project "Strengthening the Women's Rights in Western Georgia". On April 19, the presentation of the project was held in Kobuleti. The project is carried out in 10 municipalities of Western Georgia and aims to identify the problems of violence against women and prevent, strengthen families, and establish a non-violent culture in society.
The meeting was attended by members of the gender council of the municipality, representatives of the social service, the department for children’s rights protection and support, civil activists, as well as the members of the Supreme Council of Ajara Pati Khalvashi and Tsotne Ananidze.
The project of the Fund “Sukhumi” - "Strengthening the Women's Rights in Western Georgia" is focused on the following issues: - protecting women's rights, strengthening the families, preventing domestic violence and supporting victims, responding to gender problems through cooperation with local governments.
Project presentations have been already held in Terjola, Senaki and Bagdati municipalities. The meetings were attended by representatives of local governments, civil activists. The prospects of responding to the problem of domestic violence and cooperation were highlighted.
The representatives of the municipalities underlined that prevention of domestic violence is the sphere of their interest and they are ready to cooperate with the Fund "Sukhumi".
“Strengthening the Women’s Rights in Western Georgia” - Fund “Sukhumi” has started a new stage of this project… with changes, new directions.
The project area - four regions of Western Georgia: Imereti, Samegrelo, Guria and Ajara. The work will be carried out in the following 10 municipalities: Vani, Bagdati, Samtredia, Tkibuli, Terjola, Senaki, Tsalenjikha, Zugdidi, Chokhatauri, Kobuleti.
One of the innovations is that, for the first time, within the framework of the project, Women Support Centers are being created in Vani, Bagdati, Samtredia, Tkibuli and Chokhatauri.
The Fund "Sukhumi" has its own representatives who will work locally to strengthen women and protect their rights, they will try to advocate and solve problems through a gender-responsive system. The aim of the project is prevention of domestic violence in cooperation and coordination with local governments.
“The school should be interested in the concept of a safe school. The law on general education clearly states that the school must take responsibility for the violence,” mentioned one of the teachers, a participant of the event.
Teachers, parents and representatives of education resource centers from different municipalities attended a round table, which was held on the initiative of the Fund “Sukhumi”. The topic of the meeting was: “Nonviolent, safe environment in schools and the role of resource centers in promoting non-formal education”.
The participants discussed the existing challenges. During the meeting the recommendations were announced – their consideration will contribute to strengthening of cooperation between resource centers and schools, as well as the formation of a safe school model.
Familiarization with local and central services, identification of problems for advocacy - these issues were discussed at mobilization meetings in March.
An active communication was held with members of local governments in order to receive information. The meetings were conducted by mobilizers of the Fund "Sukhumi" Women Support Centers in Kutaisi, Tskaltubo, Khoni, Terjola, Senaki, Poti, Zugdidi, Ozurgeti, Lanchkhuti and Kobuleti municipalities. The meetings were also attended by a lawyer, a psychologist and a conflictologist of the organization, who provided the participants with information on the mechanisms for the elimination of violence.
Women Support Centers had variety of activities these days. The 8th of March was marked by events of various formats: information meetings with the villagers, round tables in kindergartens and schools, meetings with representatives of local governments, literary evening.
During the meetings, it was emphasized that this is the International Day of Women's Solidarity, a global celebration of their economic, political and social achievements.
According to the meeting participants, lots of changes happen in our everyday life from year to year. These are changes in legislation, in municipal programs, but women's rights are still violated, cases of violence are still frequent, the level of human security is still low and therefore advocacy and solution of many problems are necessary. This is what the Women Support Centers in 10 municipalities of Western Georgia are doing.
