On November 27-29, Crowne Plaza Hotel in Borjomi hosted a regional workshop on gender-biased sex selection.
Delegates from Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan took part in the workshop. The event was opened by Ms Lela Bakradze, Head of the UNFPA Georgia Country Office, Ms Marie Toulemonde, Gender specialist at UNFPA Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (EECARO), and Marika Kurdadze, Program Officer at the UNFPA Georgia Country Office.
There are many different forms of gender discrimination. One of its most fundamental manifestations is gender-biased sex selection, which implies the selection of the sex of the foetus before its birth, and which is due to a prevailing attitude of son preference and undervaluing of girls. This practice has led to distorted levels of sex ratios at birth in several countries in the South Caucasus, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, including Georgia.
Upending the practice of gender-biased sex selection requires addressing the problem of gender inequality and gender-biased social norms; changing perceptions on the value of girls; promoting women's education, economic and political participation; ensuring their access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. This goal can be achieved by strengthening the policy framework needed for transformation, expanding opportunities and mobilizing commitments for policy implementation.
The aim of the workshop is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the social, demographic and policy issues underpinning distorted levels of sex ratio at birth (SRB) and gender-biased sex selection, with a focus on monitoring and evaluating policies and interventions against gender-biased sex selection. The workshop is designed for national partners, civil society organizations, representatives of local municipalities, researchers and gender activists.
The workshop was organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (EECARO), as part of EU supported programme „Addressing Gender-Biased Sex Selection and Related Harmful Practices in the South Caucasus” implemented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
