The women’s wing of the opposition party Gakharia for Georgia has heavily criticized the ruling party’s decision to abolish the permanent parliamentary Gender Council, saying it is a deliberate move to weaken women’s rights and political representation in Georgia.
Originally, the Gender Council established to supervise gender policies, combat violence against women, and support women’s political empowerment. However, the organization has been mainly inactive in recent years and the opposition group says its direct removal sends a clear message. “Its abolition (instead of its activation) clearly shows that gender equality issues have been entirely removed from Georgian Dream’s agenda.”
The organization released an official statement arguing that the “not merely a technical one,” but a political choice that “confirms Georgian Dream seeks to further worsen the status of women’s rights in Georgia and weaken their voice in the public sphere.”
The group also emphasized the ruling party’s earlier move to eliminate gender quotas from parliamentary election lists. “The previous parliament’s decision to abolish gender quotas was a direct blow to the increase of women’s political role and their involvement in representative bodies.”
The statement also touched upon the government’s general approach to gender issues, adding, “Against this backdrop, the de facto government’s statements about combating violence against women appear particularly cynical,” especially given the recent rise in femicide cases and what the organization described as a lack of effective state protection.
Finally, the statement urges society not to view the abolition as procedural but rather as a setback to institutional support for gender equality in Georgia.
