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Every Fifth Woman Is Victim of Violence (Part I)

May 15, 2007

genderib.gifMaintaining the gender balance in the Caucasian families is still a problem in the XXI Century. In Georgia women and men do not have equal rights yet and women are related with only housewives, low circles and poorly-paid jobs. Non-governmental organizations argue with the government on the topic and demand to enact right policy in treating the women.

In Georgia women are employed in various structures, mostly in low circles and are less employed in decision-making positions. For example, if years ago women never took part in Georgian politics, in 1998 elections the women occupied 14 % of candidates, in 2002 their number reached 12% and during the self-governmental elections in 2006 their number reduced to 11, 5%. However, there are regions where the self-governmental bodies do not employee women at all. Such regions are: Gurjaani, Tighvi Community, Ninotsminda, Vani, Chiatura, Batumi and etc.

In 2006 non-governmental organization “International Center for Conflicts and Negotiations” carried out a survey in Georgia. The study proved that the Caucasian Region really copes with the problem of gender equality. According to the survey, great number of women, despite their age and residential area, are the victims of physical and verbal harassment. The survey sorted out a part of women who suffers from constant violence and urges for help. The study showed that most famous form of family violence and harassment is restriction of the freedom in making decisions, economical harassment, financial control and some other economical boundaries.

Only 45, 7 % of women have right to protect their rights during the arguments with their husbands; the arguments are based on daily family life. Important part of respondents cannot dare to take some decisions without asking permission from their spouses. 67% of them do not have income or have low salaries. 56 % of women do not work at all or have occasional jobs. The reasons for their unemployment are husbands who forbid them to work. When those women were asked about the reason of being unemployed, they said their husbands do not let them do. The survey showed some kind of psychological harassment the women endure; in this particular situation 44 % of women are being constantly persuaded that they cannot live or achieve anything without their husbands. Another 56 % thinks that they cannot make decisions alone.

The survey showed that every fourth-fifth woman confesses that they are harassed in some particular way. Physical harassment is mostly common in the Eastern Georgia. In the regions, most women (particularly from the Western Georgia) say that essential task for their lives are to obey all wishes and demands of their husbands.

As Rusudan Gotsiridze, an expert in gender issues for the “International Center of Conflicts and Negotiations” said in her conversation with the Human Rights Center, that the survey was carried out anonymously. The women spoke openly and the result was too severe.

Rusudan Gotsiridze: “It is natural that in the Caucasus on the whole and particularly in Georgia, there is a gender problem. Our organization deals with the problem in various ways. As a rule, when a woman applies to someone for help, that means she suffers serious problems. Otherwise, they avoid speaking about their problems openly. They act thus because of traditions and they do not want to make their family problems public. Another problem is lack of information and the women cannot understand the meaning of the violence. Unfortunately, every fifth woman in Georgia is harassed. There are various ways of violence. These are physical, sexual, psychological and economical persecutions. For example, very often the family of the husband does not let the woman to go on her studying or working. Although, we, Georgian people claim that we do respect women and they are worshiped like idols, the level of women violation is too high in our country.”

The respondent pointed out that women of many categories visit their center. There are applicants who need immediate evacuation from their families. Those women do not have a shelter to go to and mediate with those organizations which can assist them.

“When women visit us and urge to help them, first of all we seriously cooperate with them, because they have poor self-esteem. They must understand that they are human beings and they must not endure violence until situation becomes completely unbearable. One more problem is that the society is not ready to accept lonely mothers. In Tbilisi the situation is less grave in the field but in the regions lonely mothers live in total isolation. Victims of the family-violence are mostly from regions. In the capital city, people have got aware that lonely mothers are not immoral at all.”

Nino Tsikhistavi, a representative of the non-governmental organization “Caucasian Women’s Network”, agrees that there is gender problem in the country; she calls upon the government to take urgent measures in order to resolve the problems. Tsikhistavi said that the existence of gender problem in Georgia is as urgent, as the state does not have enacted any plans to eradicate the problem.

“Last spring, the government adopted a conception on gender equality; however the idea remained on the paper. They have not prepared national plan of activities on gender equality so far. Several NGOs work on the issue but from political parties the question is mostly formally treated. As soon as question is raised on equal participation of women and men in elections, the politicians try to get rid of the women. Women should not stay in lower circles- coffee-makers or secretaries-they should move in higher circles. After all, 54% of Georgian population is women. We have urgent situation in the field that can be defined as granting equal possibilities to men and women. The women cannot be in charge of fields that do not deal with them personally.

Eka Gulua

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