Ensuring gender equality in labor relationships and economic empowerment of women still remain challenging in Georgia, which in turn negatively affects women’s human rights and increases their vulnerability toward discrimination and domestic violence.

According to data of Georgian Statistical Agency, gender wage gap in Georgia is quite high, amounting to 36%. In addition, 2018 Gender Inequality Index reports, that Georgia moved from 45^th to 69^th place out of 149 counties for equal pay for equal work. According to the average gender income, the estimated annual income of a man is twice that of a woman. Whereas, in terms of participation in unpaid family work, the contribution of women is almost twice as high as that of the men (women-33.3, men-14.7).

Gender pay gap negatively impacts general equality of women and establishes grounds for discriminatory restrictions of certain basic rights. Considering the fact that stereotypes determining gender barriers to women’s participation in social life still exist in Georgia, obstacles in financial income might in certain cases result in social marginalization of women’s groups.

The economic situation of women is significantly linked to domestic violence, as financial dependence on the abuser or his family constitutes one of the obstacles to escape domestic violence.

Nevertheless, there is still no methodology in Georgia to determine equal value for equal work, which afterwards hinders determination of concrete data of wage gap and planning of corresponding measures. Furthermore, state actions toward economic empowerment of women and improvement of their labor rights are inefficient.

Public Defender of Georgia calls upon relevant state agencies to get involved in discussions of gender wage gap actively and to plan effective measures for decreasing existing disbalance and for facilitating increase of economic involvement of women.