How can a society torn apart by war and conflict overcome alienation, rebuild relationships and create a dignified and secure future? - Our representative, Ekaterine Gamakharia, spoke about these issues as a guest on Mamuka Kufaradze's TV program before presenting the Abkhaz film "Waiting for the Future".

Khoni Women Initiative Group actively conducts meetings with representatives of the IDP community to identify important issues for them.

Members of the group try to solve as many problems as possible, which will help to improve the living conditions of IDPs.

For the given moment, the group works on renovation of the mini-stadium of the IDP village. It is important for women that their children have a space where they can spend their free time, engage in sports, and conduct various activities.

For timely and successful advocacy of the issue, the Women Initiative Group is in close communication with the local government. This problem is raised and there is a promise of support.

The project is implemented with the support

 of the UN Women organization

“Digital Resource Center of Services for the Victims of Domestic Violence” is the only el-platform in Georgia, which combines complete information about assistance and support services available in Georgia to protect victims (survivors) of domestic violence.

The online platform combines mobile SOS applications, hotline numbers, success stories of women who have experienced violence, etc. https://sosfsokhumi.ge/

The municipalities of Tsageri, Khashuri, Terjola, Vani, Bagdati, Chkhorotsku, Khoni, Poti, Martvili and the Supreme Council of Adjara have integrated information about the digital resource center and a link to their web pages.

Active work continued within the framework of the new project.

A map has appeared on the existing platform - It is enough for a person to move the cursor on the map to find all the services by region - https://sosfsokhumi.ge/central

The project is implemented with the support the Equality Fund (Canada)

A project supported by the Equality Fund (Canada) continues.

The main goal of the project is to provide access for women victims/potential victims of violence and other stakeholders to a wide range of information related to domestic violence (legal mechanisms for domestic violence/ violence against women, victim support services, referral entities, etc.) for the prevention and appropriate response to violence against women.

The project will be implemented during 3 years in 10 municipalities of Western Georgia (Vani, Bagdati, Samtredia, Terjola, Tkibuli, Tsalenjikha, Senaki, Zugdidi, Kobuleti, Chokhatauri).

Within the framework of the project, the website “Digital Resource Center for the Services of Violence Victims” will continue to function https://sosfsokhumi.ge/

Systematic assessment of the risks of domestic violence and violence against women will be carried out in the above mentioned municipalities.

On the initiative and moderation of the advocacy group of the Women Fund "Sukhumi", a meeting was held with the participation of representatives of 17 municipalities of Western Georgia (Kutaisi, Tskaltubo, Vani, Terjola, Bagdati, Samtredia, Senaki, Tkibuli, Chokhatauri, Kobuleti, Tsalenjikha, Zugdidi, Ozurgeti, Poti, Lanchkhuti, Khoni, Khobi).

Topic of the meeting: "Local programs for the economic empowerment of women - the exchange of existing positive experience." Representatives of the municipalities of Chokhatauri, Poti, Zugdidi and Kobuleti spoke about local programs for the economic empowerment of women. The format of the discussion was effective in terms of sharing best practices and successful experiences.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

We have good news - Ukrainian Maria Dobrovolskaya gave birth to a healthy boy in Kutaisi. They are already home, mother and baby feel well.

Another innovation: we were addressed by a volunteer of the program “Sonyashnik”, according to which 5 Ukrainian teenagers from 15 to 18 years old will be able to have an interesting time in a summer camp. The Women Fund "Sukhumi" helped them gather a group for free rest in the camp.

Currently we have 523 people in our database. 43 people were added in May.

This month, our support was shown in many ways:

- Food was provided to 30 families (63 people)

- 6 families received assistance in paying for housing

- We supported 6 families in paying utilities

- One Ukrainian woman was paid part of the cost of the operation, everything went well and she is getting better.

- Free psychological assistance for refugees from Ukraine continues

Last month the forum-theater met with the prisoners of penitentiary N14 in Geguti. Everyone liked this visit very much, and the young actors were invited to the Kutaisi penitentiary N2. They showed 4 performances here. It was quite an impressive spectacle, and after each performance, an active discussion took place with the participation of the audience ... Forum Theater gained new experience by working with an unusual audience.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

Ekaterine Gamakharia, the representative of the Women's Fund "Sukhumi" Tbilisi office, participated in the two-day seminar held during the Council of Europe Visibility Week on April 27-28, within the framework of the cooperation of the Council of Europe Congress and the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia. The seminar was held within the framework of the "Strengthening Participatory Democracy and Human Rights at the Local Level in Georgia" project, the main topic of which was the strengthening of inclusive communication.

One of the workshop sessions was dedicated to the participants of the local authorities using the "Living Library" method to get to know the personal stories of various vulnerable groups, the challenges they face, and their visions of solving the problems.

Ekaterine Gamakharia, the representative of the Women's Fund "Sukhumi", presented the challenges of the displaced woman to the representatives of the municipality, and spoke about the need for the participation of the displaced people, including women and girls, in the process of developing local policies, and the need to introduce municipal services and social programs to solve the problems they face.

Екатерине Гамахария, руководитель Тбилисского представительства Женского фонда «Сухуми», приняла участие в рабочей встрече гендерной тематической группы - женщины, мир и безопасность. Заседание проходило под председательством Тамар Лобджанидзе, аналитика программы «ООН-женщины» в Грузии и Регины Егоровой-Аскеровой, старшего офицера программы Kvinna till Kvinna на Южном Кавказе.

Представитель Тбилисского офиса Женского фонда «Сухуми» обратила внимание на проблемы передвижения населения, разделенного конфликтом с обеих сторон, ограничения, введенные на перевозки грузов для населения на линии раздела, а также на необходимость повышения информированности, навыков и компетенций в плане конфликто-сенситивных принципов для представителей госинститутов, в том числе представителей сектора безопасности, включенных в процесс восстановления доверия.

Ekaterine Gamakharia, head of the Tbilisi representative office of the Women Fund “Sukhumi”, participated in the two-day conference organized by the IDP Women Association "Consent". The conference on "Women and Youth for Positive Agenda’s Creators" was held on April 24-25.

The first day of the meeting was dedicated to the positive role of women and youth in the peacebuilding process, while the second day was dedicated to the situation and needs of the displaced women and girls.

The conference was attended by representatives of governmental and local self-government, as well as organizations working on peace-building issues and the problems of displaced people.

Ekaterine Gamakharia, the head of the Tbilisi representative office, reported on the panel discussion of the conference, which was dedicated to the state strategies and action plans for the IDPs. In her speech, she spoke about the commitments taken by the state in the fourth action plan (2022-2024) adopted by the United Nations Security Council, Resolution 1325, in the direction of the participation of displaced women in the peace-building and decision-making process, as well as in the state programs for women's economic empowerment. She focused on the problems of effective participation of IDP women in the decision-making process and economic programs and specific barriers characteristic of their vulnerable situation and etc.

The project is implemented with the support

 of the UN Women organization