In November billboards were put up on the central streets of Marneuli and Akhaltsikhe within the MenCare campaign in response to the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
Billboards on Rustaveli Street in Marneuli show fathers: Ruben Saponjian - engineer and Kamran Afandiev – teacher, together with their children reading a book and playing football at the stadium.
In Akhaltsikhe, billboards placed on Tamarashvili and April 9 streets show fathers: Giorgi Natenadze - winemaker and Lekso Chemia – actor, with their children while jogging and having a picnic.
The billboards emphasize 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.
Data on gender relations show that stereotypes and prejudices around traditional gender roles prevent men from sharing responsibilities equally and being caring fathers, spouses, partners and family members.
The billboards in Marneuli were placed within the framework of the “Ending Violence Against Women and Girls in Georgia (EVAWGG)” programme, funded by the European Union, implemented jointly by UN Women and UNFPA.
Billboards in Akhaltsikhe were placed within the framework of the Addressing Gender-Biased Sex Selection and Related Harmful Practices in the South Caucasus” programme, funded by the European Union, implemented by UNFPA.
The MenCare campaign, implemented by the UNFPA Georgia Country Office in partnership with the NGO Care Together, 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 join in the campaign.
