Promoting IDPs' and Women's Voices in Post-Conflict Georgia

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYInternally displaced persons (IDPs) in Georgia, many living in protracted displacement since the early1990s, face a number of challenges in participating in politics and peacebuilding. Using a human-rightsand gender-based approach, this report assesses the extent to which displaced women and men areinvolved in policymaking regarding their needs and interests. We focus on policies that promote thedurable solutions as defined in the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement: return,resettlement, and local integration.Avenues of ParticipationStructures and processes supporting IDPs’ participation certainly exist, particularly through civil society,in which women are disproportionately more active. Policymaking has also become more inclusive, butsignificant improvements are needed in implementing policies to ensure IDPs’ effective participationand enable them to choose among the durable solutions. A main challenge for achieving this objectivelies in connecting locally-based problems with a coherent national policy approach that IDPs havehelped to formulate.Factors Influencing EngagementInterconnected psychosocial, political, institutional and economic issues limit IDPs’ engagement indecision-making and public life more generally. For example, shifting gender roles have affected howmen and women deal with displacement, creating burdens and opportunities for participation of bothgenders. Political divisions within IDP communities also pose barriers, in addition to a lack of consistentpolitical will, institutional capacity, and coordination among key stakeholders. Finally, poverty canpromote a vicious cycle, hindering participation while the lack of political voice also serves as a keyobstacle to promoting efforts that address this marginalization.RecommendationsIDPs as rights-holders and the state and other relevant duty bearers hold different levels ofresponsibility in addressing this situation. We conclude with recommendations for the Government ofGeorgia, international organizations, NGOs, and IDP communities can enhance IDPs’ voice in policiesthat affect them. Systematic inclusion of this group, improved governance, and increased cooperationamong stakeholders can support IDPs in becoming more active individually and organizing collectively toadvocate for their needs and interests. These efforts thereby promote more inclusive governance andpeacebuilding processes in Georgian society.5