International IDP / Refugee Day was celebrated by the Women Fund "Sukhumi" with the aroma of Sukhumian coffee in Kutaisi Boulevard - for the third time.
Along with coffee brewed on the sand, the guests tasted cookies with painted icing on the theme of Abkhazia.
The chairman of the organization Alla Gamakharia presented certificates of appreciation for friendship and partnership to: Kakha Enukidze (Mayor of Bagdati), Nodar Giorgidze (chairman of Bagdati City Council), Shalva Kirtadze (rector of Kutaisi State University), Ketevan Tskhakaya (head of Imereti Scientists’ Union "Spectrum"), Lado Jurkhadze (Mayor of Khoni), Alu Gamakharia (founder of the Association “Business and Peaceful Caucasus”), Pakizo Panchulidze (Director of Tskaltubo, public school No. 1), Maya Nutsubidze-Kobulia (Director of Tskaltubo, public school No. 4), Eliso Pantskhava (associate professor, translator).
Brot für die Welt is an authoritative organization that, as a reliable partner and donor, has identified and successfully improved many areas in the activities of the Women Fund “Sukhumi”. The areas are following: violence prevention, monitoring and advocacy, youth empowerment centers, forum theater / shadow theater / puppet theater, rehabilitation centers, support for Ukrainian refugees.
Representatives of Brot für die Welt Kim Kvibuka and Lilian Kurtz listened to the current report, which was presented by the team of Kutaisi head office and Tbilisi representative office of the Women Fund “Sukhumi” in the form of interesting presentations.
“Thank you for showing us the diversity of your work. It is very impressive what you do and what you strive for. I'm sure you'll have great results!" - said Kim Kwibuka at the end of the meeting.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
Women's self-assistance groups have already been established in 10 municipalities. In May, groups were formed in Terjola, Senaki, Chokhatauri, Samtredia, Tkibuli, Vani and Kobuleti. In June, three more municipalities were added to them: Bagdati, Tsalenjikha and Zugdidi. Groups should disseminate information about services available for victims of violence at the national or municipal level. They will try to advocate their problems together with representatives of the Women Fund "Sukhumi" and local government. According to them, it is clear that the group will do useful things for women.
Empowering and supporting women, identifying cases of violence, advocating for various problems of communities - these are the main directions that determine the activities of the Women Support Centers.
An action was held at Khurcha (Zugdidi municipality) Women Support Center - a group of women were made a free blood test; a socially disadvantaged woman in Samtredia was assisted in preparation of necessary documents; in Kobuleti, with the help of a mobilizer, a woman victim of violence was included in the municipal program and her situation improved. In Baghdati and Tsalenjikha, women had the prospect of economic empowerment, as after being informed they were included in economic programs.
Such results were recorded in the June report of Khurcha/Zugdidi, Samtredia, Tsalenjikha, Kobuleti and Baghdati Women Support Centers.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
The members of Kutaisi women initiative group selected actual problems from the research and worked on drawing up an advocacy plan. The members of the group defined specific advocacy activities and responsible persons. Members of the youth club actively work within the framework of mini project. With the help of the forum theater method, they tell the audience about violence. During the meeting, the students expressed the emotions that they received during the performance and feedback.
An information exchange meeting was held Kobuleti City Hall. The meeting was initiated by the Municipal Gender Equality Council and the Women Fund "Sukhumi", in cooperation with the Educational Resource Center and the Department for Children's Rights of the City Hall. The topic of the meeting was “Local cooperation for creation of a child/family-oriented psycho-social environment”.
During the meeting, representatives of the education sector were acquainted with the main activities of Kobuleti department for the protection of children's rights and their support. There was a dialogue regarding the services focused on children/families, challenges and prospects for cooperation with the educational sector in the field of protecting children's rights. Specific cases requiring urgent management were discussed. An agreement was reached to exchange such information systematically.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
A round table with the participation of members of the Interdepartmental Council of the municipality was held in Senaki. The local referral entities: members of the Gender Equality Council of the City Council, representatives of local government, healthcare, educational resource center and police participated at the meeting.
There was a conversation about the situation in terms of violence and assistance to victims. Important time was devoted to the lawyer, who familiarized the participants with the referencing document, as well as the duties and functions of concrete authorized persons.
At the meeting, the participants were also informed about the practical guide/toolkit: "Preventing and responding to gender-based violence in war and post-war settings - experiences and recommendations of women's NGOs", which was developed by the WAVE Network in collaboration with its four WAVE members in 2022 by the support of the OSCE. The Toolkit describes best practices and the strategies employed by the women's NGOs to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in different phases of conflict.
- Strategies during Wartime and emergency response settings were shared by Ukrainian and Armenian partners Sexual Assault Crisis Center (Yerevan, Armenia), Centre “Women’s Perspectives” (Lviv, Ukraine);
- Strategies during Protracted conflict were described by the Women's Foundation "Sukhumi" (Kutaisi, Tbilisi, Georgia);
- Strategies during Post-war and long-term perspective were based on the experience of the Bosnia-Herzegovina partner. Foundation United Women Banja Luka (Banja Luka, Bosnia & Herzegovina)
(A practical guide is available here https://www.osce.org/secretariat/530695)
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
Members of Senaki women initiative group heard information about the mixed (Georgian, Ossetian and Abkhazian) meeting held in Istanbul. They discussed the importance of face-to-face meetings and the possibility of exchanging information. In the second part of the meeting, the participants analyzed the problems identified as a result of the research and worked on an advocacy plan. Against the background of an interesting discussion, the meeting with the youth group continued. The participants talked about the progress of the mini-project, the obtained results and the emotions that accompanied the performances of the forum theater.
The members of Tskaltubo women initiative group analyzed the problems that can be advocated with local resources. They also worked on advocacy plans, which increase the possibility of solving problems. The members of the youth clubs existing in Tskaltubo public schools No 1 and No 4 evaluated the progress of the mini-projects. They talked about how the audience received the scenes of violence presented with elements of forum theater. According to their assessment, the audience thought with them, discussed and looked for a solution.
