Mamuka Mdinaradze Asserts End of Need for Gender Quotas in Georgia
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the leader of the majority, stated that the country has progressed to a point where artificial interventions like gender quotas are no longer required. Instead, he advocated for a future where women gain entry into the Parliament of Georgia based on merit and professionalism.
"You know, the topic of women's quotas is a temporary positive measure at a certain stage of the country's development... If someone thinks that we are not at a stage of development to navigate it well, they are very mistaken. The main premise, with which we would agree with Girchi's initiative, is that from now on, women should enter the Parliament of Georgia, especially in the future, based on merit and professionalism, not quotas. This should also apply to electoral bodies in local government," Mdinaradze said.
As confirmed at the press conference, the majority will support Girchi's initiative regarding changes in the election code.
Mdinaradze emphasized that it's time to abolish gender quotas, as women should be admitted to political positions based on merit alone. He asserted that Georgian women have the freedom to express themselves and pursue their rights without discrimination, particularly in politics.
He also stated that discrimination against women in politics is "non-existent".
"The bottom line is that after a period of time, it should be abolished. That time is now, and women should get in based on merit. It is high time that we eliminate these artificial interventions and acknowledge that we are at a stage of development where women do not need assistance from artificial tools,
Women have absolute freedom to express themselves. They have the absolute freedom to realize their rights. Women are very capable in any direction. Georgian women in Georgia no longer have the problem of becoming subjects of discrimination, especially in politics.
In politics and public life, no woman has a problem with becoming a subject of discrimination, especially because she is a woman. It is an impossible story," said Mdinaradze.
