Multimedia project “Youth for Social Changes” presents twelve young persons from different regions of Georgia who dedicate their actions and enthusiasm trying to change the society, achieve gender equality and contribute to creation of a healthier environment.
Nino Tkemaladze, 17, from the village of Didi Smada, Adigeni municipality
In every way, young people in rural areas have less opportunities for development. The only place where they can get education is school, there are no other institutions, formal or informal. There should be additional opportunities for those who want to learn more and who think that attending lessons is not sufficient for them to develop further. I would like the youth to have an [informal] space in rural areas, where we would gather and discuss various topics and share our experiences. I advise young people to try not to become self-obsessed of their own free will, to get out of their comfort zones, come out of their shells and to gather as much experience as possible. If we want to, both women and men can do anything they want. In my opinion, being a man should not give a person a priority in certain fields. Gender equality for me is equal rights for men and women, when there are no constraints, no rules telling us what a woman should do, or a man should do, whether it is physical work or household chores. I want to become a doctor, because Georgia needs good medical workers. I am going to study in Tbilisi, but, in the end, I will come back to my village. My hobby is football. In the summer, I spend most of my time playing football. I used to participate in inter-school football tournaments for amateurs. But last year, a girls’ team of Adigeni formed and I was invited to join the team and, since then, I have been part of the team. Girls’ and boys’ teams do not participate in the same football tournaments. The only opportunity we have to play against a boys’ team is during youth events. Once, during an inter-school football tournament, when teams of boys were playing against each other, a goalkeeper could not come. However, a teacher let me join in and I had to play together with boys. At first, they looked at me with suspicion, but a while later both spectators and our teacher were impressed with my performance as a goalkeeper.
“Youth for Social Change" is an initiative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office aimed to promote gender equality, eliminate gender stereotypes and harmful social norms.
It is part of the three EU-funded programmes: “Ending Violence Against Women and Girls in Georgia (EVAWGG)” programme (Kvemo Kartli region), “Addressing Gender-biased Sex Selection and Related Harmful Practices in South Caucasus” (Samtskhe-Javakheti region) as well as “EU4GenderEquality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence" (Guria and Imereti regions).
About the authors:
Dina Oganova is a Georgian documentary photographer working in Georgia and other countries on different long term projects. She has been a laureate of prestigious awards, including the EU Prize for Journalism and Litera. Ms. Oganova has been named among the best woman photographers under the age of 30. Her photo projects include: “I Am Georgia”; “My Place,” “Frozen Waves.” Ms. Oganova’s works have been exhibited in Italy, France, USA, Spain and other countries. She is an author of the first Georgia handmade limited edition photobook “My Place”, which is a part of collections of several museums, including the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Dina Oganova has cooperated with UNFPA Georgia since 2016 on different projects: “A Girl is Born” (“Silent Garden”), “Girls from the Future”, “Mothers and Daughters”, etc. Women’s and girls’ rights remain in focus of her artistic work.
Tatia Nadareishvili is a freelance Georgian illustrator, co-founder of studio “Illustrator” (2016), who writes and illustrates children’s books. One of her books “Sweet Dreams” was published in 2017 and translated in several languages. Tatia Nadareishvili has cooperated with UNFPA Georgia since 2018. In 2020 she illustrated a bestselling bedtime story “Luna and The Planet of Fireflies”, which will soon turn into a play.
