GEORGIA Report on Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action (1995) and the Outcome of the Twenty-Third Special Session of the General Assembly (2000) Ad Hoc Working Group on Creation of Institutional Machinery of Georgia on Gender Equality Tbilisi 2004
Part One: Overview of achievements and challenges in promoting gender equality and women s empowerment Georgia is in the process of building modern European State. This long-term endeavor requires equally strong commitment from the Government and the society at large. Leadership changes brought about by the 2003 Rose Revolution enabled the establishment of a new framework for the consolidation of national identity. The government committed itself to restore territorial integrity and develop the country as a modern European state. The same goal is set in the government s programme for 2004-2009 that aims at strengthening and uniting Georgia through economic growth, long-term stability and European integration. It is important to include gender approach in the new national strategies for ensuring fulfilment of all commitments towards achieving gender equality in all spheres of the society. Solution of gender and women s problems requires specific strategies to be worked out and implemented by the State. This would be guaranteed by existence of efficient institutional basis on the state level. International efforts to promote gender equality, particularly the Beijing Platform For Action, the outcome of the Twenty-Third Special Session of the General Assembly, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Concluding comments of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women On Consideration of Georgia s Initial Report (1999) were important instruments used to promote gender equality policy processes. In accordance to the Beijing Platform for Action, in the frames of the UNDP program the national action plan was designed for years 1998-2000 aimed at improving women s conditions in Georgia. The Plan of Action For Improving Women s Condition in Georgia incorporated seven of the twelve priorities of the Beijing Platform for Action. The most important parts of this plan - establishing women s issues department; increasing women s participation in decisionmaking institutions; helping women to establish small and medium size enterprises; strengthening legislative protection mechanisms to reduce prostitution, poverty, starvation; taking into account gender equality issues while working out budgetary and taxation policy have not been realized. 1994 Georgia signed CEDAW without reservations. Georgia s initial report was reviewed by the CEDAW Committee in 1999 during it 21 st Session. Alongside the government s report, NGOs dealing with women s issues also developed an alternative shadow report. The CEDAW Committee considered the reports and drew summarizing comments where it voiced concern towards the following: the national action plan aimed at improving women s conditions is not being implemented, no policy or comprehensive strategy has been defined to tackle indirect discrimination and discrimination of women in the private sector; the roots of patriarchal culture are persistent; strong stereotypes are governing the role of women in the family, society and politics. 2
National Plan of Action for improving women's situation was renewed and adopted for 2000-2004. Despite development of the following national programs: The Action Plan to Combat Violence against Women (2000-2004); The Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Persons (2003-2005), lack of financial support by the state budget seriously affected the process of implementation. There was a certain experience of institutional mechanism in Georgia, which did not work out efficiently. On February 1998 by the Decree of the President of Georgia The State Commission for Elaboration of State Policy for Women s Advancement was established. The State Commission was not supported by the state budget, which was a serious impediment for receiving concrete achievements. Soon after the Rose revolution (February 14th, 2004) NGO group representatives of the Women s NGO Coalition of Georgia - has submitted its initiative on creation of effective institutional machinery in the field of gender equality. With regard of supporting local initiative of women s NGOs Ad Hoc Working Group on setting up the Governmental Commission on gender equality at the State Minister s office was created (August 2004) and is headed by Mrs. Tamara Beruchashvili - the State Minister on European Integration. MDG. Georgia made commitment to integrate the MDG within is national development strategies and report periodically on the status of their attainment. The internationally set Goal 3 relates to gender disparities in primary and secondary education. In Georgia this target appears to have been achieved before independence. In the Georgian context this Goal has been modified to aim at promoting the equal position of men and women in society. The analysis suggest that women in Georgia have limited access to managerial positions both in civil service and private sector, they are under-represented in local and central elected bodies. Thus, MDG goal 3 identifies two following objectives: 1) Ensure gender equality in employment 2) ensure equal access to activity in the political domain and all levels of management. The goals 1, 5, 7 consider gender parameters regarding poverty incidents and extreme poverty by improving social protection program and encouraging employment for both women and men. Goal 5 is devoted to improvement of maternal health. Georgia s maternal mortality ratio (51.2 in 2003) remains high if compared to European countries due to high maternal death rate, lack of qualified medical personnel during delivery and poor equipment of maternity wards. New tendencies of maternal deaths resulting from poverty - delivery at home or after abortion complications are emerging. Georgia is facing the threat of depopulation due to the low birth rate, general rise in the death rate, high child and maternal mortality and substantial outmigration. The analysis is complicated by the deficient system of birth and death registration and database discrepancies. Harmonization of statistical databases is urgently required. The process of globalization and market economy have introduced many changes in the economic development process and have affected gender profile of economic and social 3
relations. New opportunities for women at international labor market appear, which caused the growth of women migration. According to gender experts feminization of migration (third of labor migrants are women) takes place. The labor migrants do not have any mechanisms for protection, so very often women become victims of trafficking. There is still lack of legislation tools in related fields. 4
Part Two: Progress in implementation of the critical areas of concern of the Beijing Platform for Action and the further initiatives and actions identified in the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly Women, Poverty and economics. The Strategy Document Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Program (EDPRP) - was developed by broad participation of all main stakeholders. During preparation, not only the efforts of government agencies and units have been combined, but also a practice of active dialogue has been established between the Government and civil society. In this document gender parameters and gender direction are considered. In the course of implementation of EDPRP attention will be paid to regularization of gender problems, formulation and implementation of consistent and effective gender policy, actions aimed at reinforcement of the economic and social status of women and proper consideration of the gender factor while planning socially important measures. Gender factors should be taken into account in the economic policy of the Government: Gender aspects in the process of planning and allocation of budgetary funds, regulation of labor market and social policy; Improvement of labor legislation considering gender factors; Ensuring social safety in the economic activity; Enhancing female economic activity, implementing various programs promoting their professional training. The Strategy will facilitate: Implementation of educational and preventive measures in order to alter traditional gender roles which put women in unequal, subordinate position; Reduction of labor and social discrimination of the women; Reduction of offensive practice to the women, reduction of domestic violence. Specific economic, social and migration factors have changed the structure, sustainability and delegation of the roles in the families. It is required to make analysis of these processes and adequately consider gender and age factors in the course of implementation of social and economic measures prescribed by EDPRP. Women and the labor market. Labor market analysis signals a significant deterioration in the status of women after independence. According to the State Department of Statistics in 2002 women account for just 47.7% of the economically active population. Some 35.9% of women in the total female employed population above fifteen years of age are contractually employed. The remainder, 64% are self-employed. Most self-employed women work on family farms or business for no remuneration. Employment opportunities are legally equal. However, women have limited access to managerial positions both in the public and private sectors and their remuneration is usually lower. According to the State Department of Statistics (SDS) survey Women and Men in Georgia, 5
2003 (Table 5) average wages of female employees in state-owned industries amount to only 55.1% of wages of male employees; in public institutions - 46%; in agriculture - 82.5%; in trade - 71.2%; in education 72.6%; in healthcare 71.8%, in consumer services - 51.7%, in selfemployment - 69.9%. Analysis of women s socio-economic situation suggests that the decline of their economic role stem from the weakening of previously available social guarantees and, in some cases, from their abolition rather than from discriminatory practices. It has become increasingly difficult for women to combine work and family functions. Gender Budget. Development and implementation of consistent and effective gender policy and proper consideration of the gender factor while planning of socially important measures are important challenges of Millennium Goals and EDPRP programs. Traditional macroeconomic practices in Georgia are gender-neutral, as generally there is no explicit mention of women and men regarding budget process. In 2000 the State Budget included a separate article Social programs and measures of state agencies relating to women s matters. Unfortunately this separate article existed only until 2001 without funding due of the budget deficit. Decrease in government funding for social, health care, and education needs influenced unprotected segments of the population, especially women and children. It is very important to make gender assessment of social and economic policies for integrating gender criteria and indicators in the process of monitoring government budgets. First attempts are done to monitor government programs from gender point of view, to investigate how allocated money will influence beneficiaries - women and men in future. Women and Education. On the surface, education opportunities in Georgia are the same for boys and girls. At the same time, gender analysis of textbooks and programs has not been done yet and it can be said that school education is not fully free from gender stereotypes. Educational disparity is especially vivid in rural areas and enclaves. For example, in some of the districts of East Georgia with Moslem population, parents take their daughters out of school, believing that girls should stay home and prepare themselves for family life. Therefore, in the areas, almost always only boys are left to finish school, while girls have just 6-7 years of schooling. As for university education, based on 2002 data, there are slightly more girl students than boy students 52% vs. 48%. Ninety nine percent of the population is literate. Of that number literacy among males is 100% and among females is 98%. Education indicators are equally high for both genders. However, recent family expenditures for boys education appear to have grown. This tendency is particularly evident in high-mountainous areas, among non-georgian populations and in large families. Women in decision-making. Georgian legislation grants equal voting rights to men and women. Women voters are equally active both in urban and in rural areas and have no impediments in exercising their voting rights. In the 2004 Parliament women s representation has increased from 7,2% to 10%. In the fall of 2001 first time in the history of Georgia a woman became the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia and in 2004 she was elected again for the same position. 6
The majority faction is chaired by a woman, too. Two out of 13 parliamentary committees are chaired by women. In the newly appointed Government of Georgia (2004) 5 women are in the Prime Minister s Cabinet (20%). In former Government there were only 2 women ministers (11%). The increase is not great, but is nevertheless a step forward. In 1998 local government elections 10,693 local council members were elected of which 1526 or 14% were women. In 2002, the number decreased - 5785 council members were elected and 653 were women or 11.2%. According to the new election code, district level Sakrebulos (councils) are comprised of chairs of villages and small city Sakrebulos. Since women are rarely elected as chair, they have insignificant representation on the rayon or district level. 7
Part Three: Institutional Development Before the Beijing Women s Conference only 34 Women s NGO existed in Georgia. After conference their number sharply increased and today exceeds 175. Joint projects of Government and UNDP Women in Development 1997-1998 and Gender in Development 1999-2003 were carrying out programming activities in order to meet the objectives and enforce the recommendations of the Beijing Conference. The project has been substantial contribution in revising the public and the entire attitude towards gender related problems. Unfortunately institutional development was not so intensive and effective due to government approach and political will. In June 2000 the Women s NGO Coalition of Georgia was founded by the support of OSCE/ODIHR. The Coalition of Women s Non-governmental Organizations of Georgia is the body created and launched as a result of the conscious desire and acute necessity expressed by the leader women of Georgia. Nowadays the cooperation between the Government and the Women s NGO Coalition of Georgia is launched on finalization of the process of creation of new effective national machinery for the advancement of gender issues. Ad hoc working group established at the state minister s office includes 8 representatives of Women s NGO Coalition of Georgia. The group is finalizing its work on the future state commission structure and authority and detailed working plan. In Fall 2004 discussion on inclusion of financing the state committee s activities in 2005 state budget will start. 8
Part Four: Main challenges and actions to address them Future actions: newly established institutional machinery's further development and empowerment by the state budget establishing of focal points for gender equality and empowerment of women within line ministries new national action plan (NAP) elaboration through wide participatory process of all stakeholders development of core set of indicators for NAP implementation monitoring overcoming all major problems regarding sex-disaggregated data, statistics via specially designed programs inclusion of gender parameters in government strategy regarding women entrepreneurship development of expertise on gender budgeting for further integration of gender perspectives in national budget increasing of NGO participation in the mechanisms established and providing healthy environment for monitoring and evaluating of all activities in the field of gender equality institutional machinery National strategy of Georgia towards gender equality is still under development and will be finalized by the state commission on gender equality. 9
Annex #1, Overview of achievements and challenges Priority field on three-four priority fields Institutional Development Major Achievements Creation of Ad Hoc Working Group on setting up the State Commission on gender equality at the State Minister s office (August 2004) Broader participation of Civil Society actors in planning and implementing of state gender equality policy Major Challenges to ensure fulfillment of recommendations and direct instructions of the Commission by the Governmental bodies at all levels. to obtain financial support from the State Budget Complete implementation of Gender components of MDG Complete implementation of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Program (EDPRP) Gender component is widely included in the strategy Clear indicators for evaluation of implementation are developed program envisages gender parameters program development process includes wide participation of all stakeholders to improve gender-disaggregated data generating system Inclusion of gender approach in evaluation process. Government Institutional Mechanisms and Implementation of NAP
Government Institutional Mechanisms and Implementation of NAP Name of the Governmental National Machinery and it's Status Resources Allocating for Gender Mainstreaming Programs Link of Government National Machinery with National Action Plan (commissions, committees, councils) date established Ad Hoc Working Group on setting up of the State Commission on gender equality at the State Minister s office was created (August 2004) (10 members, including NGO representatives) Number of Staff 1 person Budgeting (Government/ other) The state budgeting of the machinery is under the discussion International Donors Line Ministries Ministry of Economic Ministry of Finance Ministry of Health Care and Social Protection NGO/other Stakeholders Women s NGO Coalition of Georgia Responsible for Implementation under development Evaluation/mo nitoring Implementation Process 11