Engagement of CSOs in the Council of Europe co-operation project is essential, due to their capacity to reach out, to empower, represent, and defend vulnerable persons. The Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) baseline assessment report also puts particular attention on the importance of CSO engagement in developing and implementing laws and policies to combat violence against women (VAW) and domestic violence (DV).
In pursuit of this goal, on 9 July 2024, representatives of Georgian Civil Society organisations attended the Council of Europe organised workshop. This initiative aimed at enhancing their participation in co-operation activities on promoting gender equality and preventing violence against women and domestic violence in Georgia.
During the workshop, civil society representatives shared their perspectives on cooperation activities and the challenges concerning their participation in all stages of the preparation, coordination, and implementation of laws, public policies, and programmes to prevent and combat violence against women, as highlighted in GREVIO's baseline report on Georgia. The participants emphasised the importance of a participatory process in these cooperation activities and discussed ideas on how to mitigate challenges they face in this process.
Participants were also informed about the relevant findings and recommendations of the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) baseline assessment report on Georgia, published in November 2022.
“The role of international partners, especially the CoE, in supporting civil society organisations continues to be critical, especially having in mind the on-going challenges", noted Babutsa Pataraia, a representative of the Sapari.
The event was organised in the framework of the project “Reinforcing gender equality and implementing GREVIO recommendations to combat violence against women and domestic violence in Georgia”. The Project is a part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2024-2027.
