Georgia’s Ombudswoman Wants Public to Actively Take Part in Fighting Violence Against Women
By Tea Mariamidze
Monday, December 11
(TBILISI) – Georgia’s new Public Defender, Nino Lomjaria, wants to mobilize society in a fight aimed at ending violence against women.
Lomjaria delivered speech at a reception held in Tbilisi’s Presidential palace highlighting the violence against women campaign.
“Many women suffer from domestic violence because of the lack of economic independence ... We need to strengthen our joint efforts in this direction,” said Lomjaria, adding that she hopes the government opts to take considerable steps to eradicate violence against women in Georgia.
Lomjaria also added that women representation in decision-making processes is very low, which puts women in unequal conditions compared to men.
Margvelashvili said Georgian society not only facethe growing and ongoing problem of violence against women, but also sex-selective abortions, early marriages and women being restricted from gaining a proper education.
“Each of us should raise our voice against abusing women. We must condemn it. This is the only way we will ever make better the lives of our mothers, wives, sisters and the rest of the women in Georgia any better,” Margvelashvili said, before adding, “We all should face the reality that our nation is inclined to this type of violence,” he added.
Margvelashvili thanked the police for their fight against the domestic violence and awarded the Order of Honor to police officers who have helped victims of abuse.
According to the Ministry of Interior Affairs, in 2017 the ministry recorded 3,137 cased of domestic violence, up from 2,910 in 2016.
The number of domestic violence cases in Georgia has spiked in recent years, climbing from 227 in 2013 to 3,137 through October.
In May 2017, the parliament of Georgia ratified the so called Istanbul Convention against violence against women which was followed by amendments to 24 separate Georgian laws.
The ratification of the convention criminalized not only violence in the family, but violence against women, in general.
