On October 5, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office and the NGO “Care Together” hosted an event aimed at introducing the achievements of the “Fathers’ School” programme in Georgia to a wide audience, analysing the experience gained and informing the public about the steps planned for the future.
UNFPA Representative in Turkey, Country Director for Azerbaijan and Georgia Hassan Mohtashami, Team Leader for Economic Development and Market Opportunities at the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia Dominik Papenheim, Doctor of Medical Sciences and General Director of Gagua Clinic Davit Gagua, representative of the organization “Care Together” and co-founder of the “MenCare” campaign Mirian Jugeli and writer and anchor Alexandre Lortkipanidze. Participants and facilitators of the “Fathers’ School” also shared their experiences with the audience.
Gender equality is a core value of the European Union, and we are trying to encourage gender equality in Georgia. That is why we are very happy to fund the father school. This is a school to encourage fathers to engage in their fatherhood to support the family on an equal basis and share the duties, but also the pleasures of the of the family. We continue to support the father school, but also we continue to support, promote gender equality in various projects the EU funds in Georgia", said Dominik Papenheim, Team Leader for Economic Development and Market Opportunities at the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia.
We are very, very honored and privileged to have a partnership with the EU on this project and also it's a joint programme with the entire UN agencies involved, including UN women, and we work around several topics, including this specific one, which is a father's school. We know that the fathers are engaged during the pregnancy and child after delivery in child care. There will be advantages for both the father and the child and the family as a whole. The more they are engaged, the more the gender equality agenda can be addressed and at the same time, it's good for the health of the not only the child, but the father itself", said Hassan Mohtashami, UNFPA Representative in Turkey, Country Director for Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Fathers’ School programme was first launched in 2021 in Tbilisi and Kutaisi aimed to promote acquisition and utilization of the skills and behaviours among men, which will help them to become more engaged and caring fathers and partners. The Fathers’ School programme will also help men learn more about gender equality, as well as about stereotypes and harmful social norms that prevent us from achieving genuine equality.
More than 50 men have participated in the “Fathers’ School” programme in Tbilisi and Kutaisi since 2021. Men who are planning to become fathers in the near future, expectant fathers, or fathers of children under the age of three form the target audience of the programme. The training course is offered free of charge. At the first stage of the programme, the partners of “Fathers’ School” programme are “Gagua Clinic” in Tbilisi and women's health centre “Hera” in Kutaisi.
Read also: "Fatherhood also needs to be learned" - why should you attend Fathers’ School?
Fathers’ School was established within the framework of the “EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence" programme, jointly implemented by UNFPA and UN Women, with the support of the European Union. The Programme seeks to tackle gender stereotypes and discriminatory norms, ensure equal rights and opportunities for women and men, as well as active involvement of men in the process of promoting gender equality.
