Georgian Parliament backs removal of term 'gender' from legislation in first reading
Georgia to remove ‘gender’ from legislation
The one-party parliament of Georgian Dream has approved the removal of the term “gender” from Georgian legislation in the first reading. Once the legislative amendments are enacted, the Law on Gender Equality will be renamed the Law on Equality Between Women and Men.
“Alongside biological sex, the artificial term ‘gender’ was deliberately introduced into Georgian legislation through the active lobbying of foreign influences and their representatives. This was a reflection of global trends and, in some cases, hindered the state from taking a principled stance against this tendency,” the bill’s explanatory note states.
The note further emphasizes the need to eliminate the “artificial” term “gender” from legislation and instead strengthen the legal framework for equality between men and women, as recognized by the Georgian constitution.
The bill also abolishes provisions requiring the establishment of a permanent parliamentary council on gender equality, as well as gender equality councils in the supreme representative bodies of Georgia’s autonomous republics and municipalities.
Irakli Kobakhidze’s comment
“When it comes to sex and gender, there is no difference between these two concepts, although some forces try to portray one. We cannot draw a distinction between sex and gender—they are synonyms. Just as there are only two sexes, the same applies to gender, despite the opinion of certain NGOs,” said Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of Georgian Dream.
Context
On April 4, 2024, the Georgian parliament abolished gender quotas. Under a legislative initiative by Aleksandre Rakviashvili, Iago Khvichia, Herman Sabo, and Vakhtang Megrelishvili, political parties were no longer required to compile electoral lists based on gender quotas.
On April 18, 2024, Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zurabishvili, vetoed the abolition of gender quotas. However, on May 15, the parliament overrode her veto.
In response to an appeal from the OSCE Ombudsman, the Office of the Public Defender of Georgia issued a legal opinion critically assessing the law abolishing gender quotas. The report stated that the law did not comply with international human rights standards aimed at combating discrimination against women in political and public life.
Georgia to remove ‘gender’ from legislation
