On November 18, 2022, the Public Defender’s Office and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ)/EPIC organized a presentation of the report “Mobility Barriers Faced by Displaced Women and Their Impact on Women's Economic Empowerment”.

Tamar Gvaramadze, First Deputy Public Defender of Georgia, spoke about the problems relating to women's mobility and noted that the first study on this issue - "Women and Mobility" was prepared by the Public Defender’s Office in 2021. The very problems identified in the last year's report created the basis for focusing on women with different needs, highlighting the barriers encountered by them and forming a common picture.

This time, the study analyzes the mobility aspects of displaced women and the impact of mobility on women’s economic activity and empowerment.

The results of the study revealed that the majority of displaced women move only for domestic and care-related work. Out of the 47 facilities studied, only the displaced women living in Tserovani and Zemo Etseri named education as one of the reasons for their daily mobility. Unfortunately, the State does not see the displaced women as a particularly vulnerable group and does not pay special attention to their employment.

Physical and financial accessibility of transport, inconsistent schedules, destinations and coverage area remain challenges.

The First Deputy Public Defender expressed hope that today's meeting will contribute to the discussion of the issue of mobility of displaced women and that the recommendations and findings of the report will be an important contribution to the planning of transport infrastructure policy in the future.

Sandra Schenke, Director of the Georgia Office of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), and Irakli Mkheidze, Head of the IDPs, Ecomigrants and Livelihoods Agency, delivered welcome speeches at the meeting.

Mariam Janiashvili, an expert of the Public Defender’s Office of Georgia, presented the key findings of the report. GIZ/EPIC gender and social inclusion expert Ana Iluridze moderated the meeting.

The study was conducted by the joint efforts of the Public Defender of Georgia and the GIZ project "Economic and Social Participation of Vulnerable Displaced and Local Population in the South Caucasus".