In the week leading up to International Women’s Day, which is a public holiday in Georgia, the EUMM Field Offices participated in and organised events to highlight the role of women in communities and public institutions in the country.

On 5 March, the Field Office in Mtskheta organised a round table for female police officers working in the districts of Mtskheta, Dusheti, Tianeti and Kaspi. In a friendly atmosphere, the participants learned about the success story of the regional police women’s network which has for several years been operating in western Georgia, in the region of Samegrelo Zemo Svaneti. They had an opportunity to discuss the idea of establishing a Police Women’s Network in the region of Mtskheta-Mtianeti.

On the same day, the Field Office Gori participated in the opening of a project implemented by a local NGO to empower male and female IDPs, namely by providing them computer literacy classes.

On 8 March, the Field Office Zugdidi visited a collective centre in Zugdidi and invited female and male inhabitants to a discussion about the role of women in Georgian society with a special focus on the situation in collective centres. During the meeting two thought provoking movies on gender related issues were presented and followed by a lively and absorbing discussion.

The event was also run in the framework of a project by FO Zugdidi aimed at evaluating the living standards in the collective centres.

The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Catherine Ashton, has stated the following: ‘International Women’s Day provides a great opportunity for each one of us to reflect on our responsibility for working towards the eradication of gender inequality. This is very much true also in international relations, where all must play their part in reaching this common goal. Sustainable peace and security cannot be achieved without the full participation of women.’

The EU Monitoring Mission would like to wish all women all the best on the occasion of International Women’s Day.