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

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The Education System’s Influence on IDP ParticipationAnother institutional factor that impacts the level of political participation of IDPs is access to qualityand unbiased education. According to UN Women, education represents an immediate need for IDPsthat must be addressed in order for them to both improve their employment opportunities and to havea greater voice in the political sphere. 389The Ministry of Education is responsible for the education of all Georgians, and IDPs have the right toequal access to educational opportunities. 390 Due to the capacity constraints discussed above, however,partner NGOs and UN agencies such as UNDP also provide educational programming to fill some of thegaps in government support. 391Many IDPs, especially those living in remote areas, face particular barriers in terms of access to qualityeducation. According to Nana Sumbadze, a think tank researcher, not only are IDP schools of poorquality, they also discourage integration with non-IDP communities. She argues that parents mayactually prefer IDP schools because they are more conveniently located and may have a less challengingcurriculum, enabling their children to score highly on exams. However, this approach disadvantagesstudents in the long term. 392 This is particularly worrisome in that education is highlighted as a primarymeans for social integration of IDPs in the government’s Action Plan. IDPs living in urban and rural areasdiffer in their access to education, thereby impacting their opportunities for employment and politicalparticipation. 393In the case of higher education, government representatives note that IDPs are particularlydisadvantaged by limited financial resources to fund their education. 394 Consequently, they cannotaccess employment opportunities, and subsequently cannot fund higher education for their children,resulting in a vicious cycle. As mentioned previously, Georgians depend heavily on networks andconnections to find employment - support that IDPs lack. The fact that many IDPs lack equal access toeducation and economic opportunities also makes it difficult for them to learn about and advocate fortheir rights. According to IDP NGO leaders, this contributes to low levels of participation in trainings andother NGO programs that aim to increase their awareness of these important issues. 395 On the otherhand, focus groups conducted with IDP women from both waves of displacement highlight their stronginterest in strengthening their professional and advocacy skills. 396 IDPs from the first wave ofdisplacement also point to the lack of opportunities to receive training and education, although theymade contact with a number of donors to express their interest. 397389 Tamar Sabedashvili, Personal Interview.390 Mariam Esaiashvili, Personal Interview.391 Ibid.392 Nana Sumbadze, Personal Interview.393 Tamar Sabedashvili, Personal Interview.394 Georgian Ombudsman Representative. Personal Interview. March. 2012.395 Zugdidi IDP NGO leaders. Personal Interview. March. 2012.396 Focus Group with IDP Women from the Old and New Waves of Displacement. January. 2012.397 Focus Group with IDP Women from the Old Wave of Displacement. January. 2012.75
Limited knowledge of their rights and access to the political sphere in general has serious implicationsfor including the concerns of the most vulnerable IDP groups in policymaking. As explained by aninternational donor representative, the majority of IDPs involved in advocacy work with NGOs areeducated: “And I don’t think that every single IDP should be involved in decision-making process[es].Some of them, they simply don’t have knowledge for it [sic]. So, [those who are capable], they selectthem and they have this mandate to defend and fight for rights in front of parliament, government,international organizations.” 398 Thus, international organizations and NGOs rely on educated IDPs to actas representatives for those who are less educated. This highlights the essential role of education inbeing given the opportunity to voice ones concerns to relevant decision-making bodies.Unique Institutional Factors Influencing Women IDPsRegarding factors that specifically affect women’s political participation, recent research has shown thata nation’s education system plays a large role in perpetuating and reinforcing gender stereotypes,through teacher trainings, management decisions, curriculum design, textbooks and other factorsinfluencing boys’ and girls’ attendance. 399A 2011 study commissioned by WPRC on the education system in Georgia found that most schoolteachers and directors responded that boys and girls were treated equally in the classroom, and thatthey had the same expectations for both male and female students. 400 NGOs and gender advocates, onthe other hand, believe that the Georgian education system is permeated with gender inequalities. 401Textbooks and school curriculums perpetuate gender stereotypes, and teachers promote traditionalmale and female roles both unconsciously and consciously. 402 Additionally, women are often depictedstereotypically as care givers and men as breadwinners, further contributing to the society’s acceptanceof these roles and what consists of ‘men’s or women’s work’.Although both men and women have high school enrollment and literacy levels, women continue todominate the fields of teaching, healthcare and social services. 403 This suggests that the reinforcementof gender stereotypes in the education system is also contributing to the perpetuation of these gendernorms at the political level. That is, the political sphere is perceived as more masculine and ‘dirty’ due toopportunities for corruption, and women are discouraged from participating in this sphere throughsocialization.These perceptions are silent barriers to women’s political participation which must be addressedthrough greater support of women’s leadership, as highlighted in the previous section. The education398 Mzevi. Danish Refugee Council Zugdidi. March. 2012.399 Unit for the Promotion of the Status of Women and Gender Equality. May. 2000.400Asatoorian et al., 26.401 E. Duban. Gender Assessment Georgia, June. 2010.402 Asatoorian et al., 27.403 Ibid.76
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Promoting IDPs’ and Women’s Voi
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CONTENTSAcronyms and Abbreviations
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARYInternally displac
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THE WOMEN’S POLITICAL RESOURCE CE
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fair reporting on politically sensi
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people-to-people diplomacy efforts
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and the Guiding Principles, in Febr
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an effort to address these stereoty
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The identities, perceptions, and re
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even IDPs themselves. The HRBA seek
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Karaleti settlement, and Potskho-Et
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displacement differently, with men
Page 26 and 27: on an equal footing with men in for
Page 28 and 29: The Ministry for Internally Displac
Page 30 and 31: Defender’s Office) and leave no r
Page 32 and 33: prominent national level IDP NGO wo
Page 34 and 35: in the past but none have yet to be
Page 36 and 37: Grassroots Peacebuilding EffortsCiv
Page 38 and 39: esettlement and local integration h
Page 40 and 41: ability to contribute to the new Ac
Page 42 and 43: Women convened a working group to a
Page 44 and 45: were involved, in addition to “wo
Page 46 and 47: towards addressing this population
Page 48 and 49: waves. 224 A Conciliation Resources
Page 50 and 51: governing shelter requirements. 238
Page 52 and 53: esults of eviction on those who did
Page 54 and 55: FINDINGSSIPA team member Drilon Gas
Page 56 and 57: unique opportunities exist for them
Page 58 and 59: an important opportunity for women
Page 60 and 61: early morning…when I was going to
Page 62 and 63: our office to investigate these iss
Page 64 and 65: on this? It’s impossible.” 322
Page 66 and 67: high levels of unemployment and pov
Page 68 and 69: groups do not differentiate between
Page 70 and 71: funding and influence to implement
Page 72 and 73: een in operation for two years or l
Page 74 and 75: organization, and highlighted that
Page 78 and 79: system has an important role to pla
Page 80 and 81: Political FactorsMany elements of t
Page 82 and 83: international organizations working
Page 84 and 85: uling party. 433 There were some si
Page 86 and 87: especially highly-influential broad
Page 88 and 89: ationale behind the government’s
Page 90 and 91: international working for a major d
Page 92 and 93: Also, according to a World Bank rep
Page 94 and 95: willing to challenge authorities th
Page 96 and 97: The lack of narrative connecting po
Page 98 and 99: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE GEORGIAN GO
Page 100 and 101: the government also needs to commit
Page 102 and 103: ‣ Continue to support and expand
Page 104 and 105: ‣ Address male IDP needs (Immedia
Page 106 and 107: The campaign should have a face, su
Page 108 and 109: APPENDIX BList of IntervieweesLocal
Page 110 and 111: Kristy KellyLincoln MitchellLawrenc
Page 112 and 113: Article 10 - Non-discrimination in
Page 114 and 115: Principle 18.1 - Adequate standard
Page 116 and 117: Esaiashvili, Mariam (Official, Mini
Page 118 and 119: Lanskoy, Miriam and Giorgi Areshidz
Page 120: Transparency International Georgia.
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