"No to total control" - Women's march in Tbilisi

Women’s March in Tbilisi

“Women can, women act, women change” — the chant of a march today, International Women’s Rights Day, in which hundreds of women took part in Tbilisi and other cities of Georgia. The main slogan of the movement was addressed to the government of Georgia — “Women against total control.”

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The march was held simultaneously in several cities of Georgia: Batumi, Zugdidi, Kutaisi, Akhaltsikhe, Gori and Telavi.

In Tbilisi, women started the procession from Freedom Square and eventually gathered in front of the Georgian Parliament building. Rustaveli Avenue was blocked.

According to the organizers, the march also had the aim of protesting the passing of a law on “foreign agents” in Georgia.

The protesters said that this law would affect everyone, and especially women who have been victims of domestic violence.

“Who are we? Women of Georgia”, “What do we want? Georgia in Europe,” they shouted at the rally.

A manifesto read publicly reaffirmed women’s rights, including education, the right to vote, participation in public life, struggle, solidarity and resistance:

“The feminist struggle has created stories of victory that fill us with pride and faith today!”

Those are the rally maintained that the fight for equality is mnore difficult now than ever:

• “Today we are fighting for the state to recognize women’s poverty, most women work in the lowest paid jobs. Women are invisible workers in the informal economy, they have no employment contracts, their labor rights are not protected, and they cannot enjoy social benefits – a decent pension and health insurance. Often they are not even paid enough for their work;
• Today we are fighting to ensure that immigrant women [Georgian women living outside of Tbilisi – ed.], whose remittances make up a significant share of the Georgian economy, do not remain an invisible majority for the state until it has economic support programs for women;
• Today we are fighting to prevent gender-based violence before serious acts of violence or killing of women occur;

• Gender roles in Georgia: who does the diapers and who leads the country
• An ‘indecent’ proposal: Georgian parliament discusses gender quotas
• Femicide in Georgia: a chronicle of tragedy

• Today we are fighting for the existence of a law against rape in the country, which will severely punish the rapist;
• Today we are fighting for a system of alimony that serves the interests of children;
• Today we are fighting for the personal, professional development and decent life of women and children with disabilities;
• Today we are fighting for women to participate in politics and make decisions;
• Today we are fighting for the economic independence of women and the protection of our labor rights, for decent wages for women;
• Today we are fighting for the education of girls and women so that they can develop professionally in their chosen field;
• Today we are fighting to ensure that everyone can live in a healthy and safe environment;
• Today we are fighting against the early marriage of girls and all those evil practices where a woman cannot make decisions about her own life;
• All these achievements that this struggle has brought us are the result of the solidarity and mutual support of women.”

The manifesto also stated that women today still face the risk of their rights being violated:

“Our solidarity, which is limited by Russian laws that provide for total control, our concern for each other and for a better environment, is in danger. And instead of continuing to work on strengthening these opportunities and improving our other socio-economic and political rights, we are forced to fight the barriers artificially created by the authorities.”

With this manifesto, the women declared that they would not allow the rights won in a long struggle to be taken away.

“Women, let’s unite against total control, because our freedom and the independence of our country depend on the vote of each of us!
Women will not tolerate oppression, injustice and inequality!
Women will not give up the independence of Georgia!
Women will not refuse the European choice of the country!
We will not succumb to total control!
There are many of us!

#Not according to Russian law!” — stated in the manifesto.

The Women’s Manifesto is also available in Azerbaijani, Armenian and English here: shorturl.at/lIPQY.