Defeating Gender Inequality

About

Feminist thinking is not influential and being a feminist is still frowned upon, as traditional notions on nature and gendered roles are up until now very common among the population. Despite the portrayal of gender equality in policy papers and media, the affirmative content of legislation, the reality is different and discrimination against women often manifests itself in the form of femicide.

In partnership with the Regional Development Hub – Caucasus, the Disruption Network Lab is implementing a new project: “Defeating Gender Inequality”. Following the previous projects Hate News vs Free Speech (2020) and Facing Disinformation it aims to strengthen civil society cooperation, this time to further gender equality and female participation in each aspect of life. 

The Georgian Equality index is in a steep decline. According to 2020 data, Georgia ranks 74th out of 153 countries in the Gender Equality Index, compared to 54th place in 2006. Despite the governmental efforts and measures, in the time of the pandemic, there is a growing number of restraining orders for domestic violence against women in 2021, with the numbers tripled compared to 2015. The situation is even more extreme for transgender, lesbian and queer women. The economic or political involvement of these women is an impossible task, in this case their visibility, health, and often, their lives are at stake. 

In addition to that, women face problems with political and social participation, as well as economic independence due to patriarchal understanding of women’s role in society and public life. Georgia ranks 61st in terms of economic participation and 94th with political participation. Majority of the population believes that men make better political decisions. Only three of the 64 mayoral candidates nominated by the leading party in last year's election were women. Female candidates are underrepresented in party lists.

In the Georgian labor market, women are overrepresented in low-paying, low-skilled positions, regardless of their professional and academic qualifications, and salaries of women are lagging behind those of men. Sexual harassment is part of women’s daily routine, with the law on sexual harassment being ineffective in practice. The economic inequality is additionally reinforced by the tradition, where statistically, the main recipient of the inheritance is a man in the family and the women are left without any material support. In the family planning, males are still the preferred sex of the child for parents, with approximately 25,000 girls not being born as a result of selective abortions between 1990 and 2010. Additionally, the redistribution of family matters and unpaid care work falls entirely on women in almost every family.

Thus, prioritizing women's empowerment is crucial in all aspects of private and public life, and working towards gender-equal environment is responsibility of each member of civil society. Especially in a context where feminist movements are being demonized, it is crucial to find alternative ways to raise awareness and political consciousness around these topics. Different methods from research to advocacy, from literature to movie making, civil society should be supported in their efforts to raise their voice.