Georgia celebrates June 19 Father’s Day in Georgia for the seventh time this year, as part of the MenCare campaign initiated by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office and the NGO Care Together.

Several events are planned in Tbilisi and the regions to celebrate this special day.

We are glad that Father's Day has become a tradition and is celebrated by fathers, children and families. By celebrating Father’s Day, we want to emphasize once again the importance of involving fathers in the process of raising children, the importance of equal parenting and partnership, because, as we often mention, each and every person can make a unique contribution to achieving gender equality. I would like to express my special gratitude to our partner companies - this year the private sector is actively supporting us in the implementation of the events planned to celebrate Father's Day” - said Ms Lela Bakradze, Head of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office.  

To celebrate this day, an entertaining-intellectual game “Father Tongue”, based on the treasure hunt method, will unite fathers and children in the Mziuri Park, Tbilisi. Fathers and children will have to work together and find hidden clues in the park to win the game.

The game will reveale two winning teams, who will be awarded a trip for the whole family to discover new summer adventures in Kakheti. In addition, the winning teams will receive special prizes introduced by organizations supporting the campaign.

The event will be held with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) as part of the UN Joint Programme for Gender Equality, funded by the Government of Sweden. The content of the game is the responsibility of the organization Care Together and may not reflect the vision of the Government of Sweden. 

To celebrate Father's Day, a wall of the Samtskhe-Javakheti State University building, located in Akhaltsikhe, was painted with an illustration prepared within the framework of the MenCare campaign. The wall was painted by artist Lia Ukleba using an illustration by Sonia Eliashvili. The illustration depicts a father and his children climbing a cliff and trying to overcome obstacles together. 

As part of the celebration, a wall of the building located at #1 Beri Gabrieli street in Ozurgeti was also painted by artist Lia Ukleba using an illustration by Tatia Nadareishvili. The illustration depicts a father and his child cheerfully and happily cooking dinner together. 

Both street art pieces were created as part of the UN Joint Programme for Gender Equality, funded by the Government of Sweden and painted within the European Union-funded programmes. The wall in Akhaltsikhe was painted as part of the programme “Addressing Gender-biased Sex Selection (GBSS) and Related Harmful Practices in the South Caucasus”, while the wall in Ozurgeti was painted as part of the programme “EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence”.

Aat 4 P.M. on June 22, as part of the celebration of Father's Day in Akhaltsikhe, a workshop dedicated to the publication “Luna and the Planet of Fireflies” is planned to be conducted in the café “Cantora”. The book was translated into the Armenian language and published by Palitra L Publishing at the initiative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office and with the support of the European Union.

The author of the text for the book “Luna and the Planet of Fireflies” is Davit Gorgiladze, and it was translated into the Armenian language by Asya Darbinyan; the illustrations presented in the book belong to Tatia Nadareishvili, who will conduct a workshop in Akhaltsikhe for fathers and children. The book aims to highlight the importance of involving men as caring fathers, spouses, and partners in child-care tasks and household chores, for the well-being of women, children, families, and society and the country in general, and for achieving true gender equality.

Celebrating Father’s Day as part of the MenCare campaign is part of a large-scale initiative by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to achieve gender equality in Georgia. Establishing and celebrating Father’s Day is an important step forward serving the purpose of emphasizing the importance of involvement of fathers in child care activities. 

According to a 2019 study jointly conducted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - Men, Women and Gender Relations in Georgia - on a daily basis, care for children is still largely the sole responsibility of mothers. As a rule, tasks such as changing diapers or clothes for children are performed by mothers, though there are certain activities equally shared by both parents; for example, taking children to the doctor, playing with them, talking with them about and discussing their personal problems, taking them to school. 

The MenCare campaign is being jointly implemented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office and the NGO Care Together, with financial support from the Government of Sweden and the European Union, as part of the programmes: “the Joint UN Programme for Gender Equality” and “EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence.” 

The MenCare campaign aims to encourage the involvement of men as nonviolent and caring fathers and spouses in the effort of ensuring health and well-being of families, so that men can be more supportive of gender equality, and ultimately of the social and economic participation of women and the empowerment of society. Every man sharing the idea can participate in the campaign.