Despite numerous awareness raising campaigns, creating legal and institutional guarantees and criminalization of domestic violence, a rate of domestic violence still remains alarmingly high.

The most brutal form of the violence is a murder. According to the statistics of the MIA (Ministry of Internal Affairs) of Georgia, in 2013 only, 21 cases of the murder of women has occurred in Georgia out of them 8 cases of the murder of wives by husbands and 1 case of mother by son.

Recent events have clearly demonstrated the existence of this problem. On 22 May, there was the information on domestic violence and murder of pregnant woman spread by Media.

I would like to express my condolences to the families of killed women and the entire society. This is not just a tragedy for these families, but pain and problem of the society. Today, it is important to combat the violence against women and strongly deplore any facts of such occurrences, be intolerant against any forms of violence against women and consolidate our efforts to ensure that women live and develop in a peaceful and non-violent environment.

It is vital to conduct educational activities aimed to break down a culture of silence in the society in regards with the violence against women, to establish zero tolerance towards this crime in the society. It is significant to work with society for elimination the existing stereotypical approaches and the barriers of struggle against domestic violence and render a timely and effective support to the victims.

I would like to express my deep concerns about an increased tendency of murders of women and urge to the Minister of Internal Affairs to act immediately and to introduce a special emergency strategy in shortest possible time not only concentrating on the effective investigation of facts of violence, but also paying a special attention to setting up preventive measures.

I would like to appeal to the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia to strengthen the role of social workers and involvement in working process on the issues of domestic violence.

I call upon the Government of Georgia to deeply comprehend the scales of violence against women and take all efforts to ensure a full compliance with the provisions of the international conventions, commit to the fulfilment of assumed obligations and develop a comprehensive, result-oriented state policy aimed to eliminate violence against women.