March 19, 2021. Zugdidi Municipality. Through the joint efforts of the Human Rights Secretariat of the Administration of the Government of Georgia, Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Georgia and the UNFPA Georgia Country Office, Women’s History Month was celebrated in Zugdidi Municipality in cooperation with the Office of the Governor of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. The events were attended by the UN Resident Coordinator in Georgia Sabine Machl and the Head of UNFPA Georgia Country Office Lela Bakradze.

There was a meeting held with Malkhaz Toria, Governor of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti to discuss future cooperation in the field of human rights, promotion of gender equality and youth empowerment.

On the same day, the exhibition Girls from the Future by photographer Dina Oganova was opened at Rukhi Public School. The photo project tells the stories of girls aged 10 to 16 living in different cities and villages of Georgia through photos as well as texts. The project aims at emphasizing to the public that unlocking the full potential of girls, creating equal conditions and equitable environment for them and providing access to education and health is crucial for the progress and development of every country, that every girl should have an opportunity to complete education and make informed decisions about their life and health. The photo project was initiated by the UNFPA Georgia Country Office and it is a part of the large-scale advocacy work undertaken by UNFPA to address harmful practices of early marriages and to respect the reproductive health and rights of adolescents and youth.

Within the framework of the event, the Equality Corner was opened at the library of the same school in partnership with the publishing houses Intelekti and Artanuji. The Equality Corner will enable the adolescents and youth living in Rukhi to learn more about the idea of equality through contemporary fiction. The Equality Corner was opened by Zviad Kvaratskhelia, a writer and an active supporter of the MenCare Campaign. He delivered a public lecture to the students and spoke about the idea and importance of gender equality.

The events at Rukhi Public School was attended by Mayor of Zugdidi Municipality, Giorgi Shengelia. 

“Samegrelo region is and will remain the priority region for UN Agencies, including UNFPA Georgia Country Office, within the framework of the UN Joint Programme for Gender Equality. This project is being implemented by UNDP, UNFPA and UN Women since 2012 with the support of the Government of Sweden. We believe that initiatives like today’s do support young people’s healthy and sustainable development. It is pivotal for adolescents to have safe spaces for receiving non-formal education, spend time meaningfully and share ideas with each other.” – Sabine Machl, UN Resident Coordinator in Georgia.

“We are glad that despite the situation created by the pandemic, we celebrated the Women’s History Month today at Rukhi Public School. It has been a priority for UNFPA to empower adolescents and the youth, to equip them with knowledge about their rights, because we believe that it is the youth who has a final say about how to achieve sustainable development. It is necessary to have frequent talks with the adolescents and youth about all the issues that matter for them, as well as for the progress of the society,” - said Lela Bakradze, Head of the UNFPA Georgia Country Office.

“I am glad that we have opened a space imbued with the idea of freedom, equality and tolerance in Rukhi, a village located near the occupation line. The Equality Corner will enable young people to learn more about the universal values through contemporary literature. This project aims at realizing the potential of the youth and adolescents. It is important that there is as much space in our region as possible for adolescents to receive additional non-formal education, discuss and share ideas with one another.” - said Malkhaz Toria, Governor of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti.

The UNFPA Georgia Country Office, together with partner organizations, plans to open several more Equality Corners in different regions of Georgia in 2021.