On May 11, 2018, representatives of the Department of Gender of the Public Defender's Office, the Center for Child’s Rights and the Telavi Office of the Regional Department held an informational meeting with social workers and psychologists of the Social Service Agency of the Kakheti region (Telavi, Akhmeta, Gurjaani, Lagodekhi, Kvareli and Sagarejo). The role of social workers relating to the cases of domestic violence, early marriage and bullying was discussed at the meeting.

Maia Gedevanishvili, Head of the Center for Child’s Rights, discussed the situation of violence against students in general educational institutions according to the Public Defender’s parliamentary report 2017. She spoke about the problems identified as a result of monitoring; in particular, violence and its forms, causes of bullying and ill-treatment of school children.

Ana Iluridze, Head of the Department of Gender Equality, spoke about the role of social workers relating to the cases of domestic violence and early marriage, improvement of institutional mechanisms of social service, cases of economic violence against women and the attitude to the victims of violence after they leave a shelter.

The necessity for strengthening social service was underlined at the meeting.

The meeting was held within the framework of the project - Strengthening Public Defender's Office in the Kakheti Region that is being carried out by the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria.