GEORGIA
Initial report dated
9 March 1998 (CEDAW/C/GEO/1)
Soon after gaining
independence from Soviet Union in April 1991,1
Georgia (Sak'art'velo in Georgian) was shattered by civil war.
As a result, within a two-year period, one of the richest republics
"famous for feting visitors with champagne, caviar and gifts"
became "one of the poorer nations on earth, its hotels metamorphosed
into refugee camps."2 Although
a cease-fire has been in effect since 1994 and UN-led efforts
to find a resolution to the conflict are under way, political
instability in Georgia has continued into 1999. In 1998, Georgia's
president narrowly escaped injury in an assassination attempt,
and the conflict in the separatists Abkhazia (Gali region) erupted
again. At the same time, in recent years Georgia has experienced
a remarkable transformation and reconstruction not only in the
economic but also in the political and social realms. In addition
to new investments and booming businesses, the Georgian government
has taken concrete steps to fight corruption and to increase
transparency and professionalism of governmental institutions,
particularly the legislature3
and the judiciary. The country has a free press and an active
and diverse civil society and NGO community. It also is active
in regional organizations.4
Georgia belongs to the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States),
a security alliance of twelve countries formed after the breakup
of the Soviet Union, is a party to the GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine,
Azerbaijan, Moldova) security treaty agreement, and has sought
membership of the Council of Europe.5
A country of 5.4
million people,6 Georgia
borders Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, and the Black Sea.
It incorporates two autonomous republics, Abkhazia and Ajaria.
The main ethnic groups are Georgian (seventy percent), Armenian
(eight percent), Russian (6.3 percent), Azeri (5.7 percent),
Ossetian (three percent) and Abkhaz (1.8 percent). Christian
Orthodox religion is practiced by seventy-five percent of the
population (Georgian Orthodox by sixty-five percent and Russian
Orthodox by ten percent). Other religions include Islam and
Armenian Orthodox.7 The
official language, Georgian, is spoken by seventy-one percent
of the population, Armenian by seven percent, Azeri by six percent,
and Russian by nine percent.
Government and Politics
Eduard Shevardnadze,
former Soviet foreign minister, of the center-left Union of
Citizens of Georgia (UCG) became the head of state in 1992,
invited by a coalition that removed president Zviad Gamasakhurdia8
from power.9 He was formally
elected president in November 1995. With the help of Western
financial aid, and despite repeated attempts to remove him from
power, he has been credited by many for his steady attempts
to establish democratic structures and institutions.10
According to some analysts, Shevardnadze's government is "one
of the more progressive and well-intentioned in the region"11
and it is believed that his death could plunge the whole region
into chaos.12 Shevardnadze
has experienced three attempts on his life, the most serious
one in February 1998, which left two bodyguards dead. In October
1998, supporters of Gamasakhurdia again tried to remove him
from power. In April 1999, Shevardnadze stated publicly that
he knew about new plans to assassinate him.13
While the supporters of the late Gamasakhurdia have been implicated
in the assassination attempts, there have been various speculations
about who is really behind the attacks.
Georgia has a unicameral
legislature of 235 members who are elected directly for a four-year
term, and the next parliamentary election is scheduled for November
1999. The president is the head of state, elected directly,
and he or she appoints the Council of Ministers. In July and
August 1998, a reform of the ministerial structure was carried
out.14
Women in Politics
Women's representation
in the power structures has declined sharply since the fall
of Communism; there is only one woman minister, Trade and Foreign
Economics Minister Tamar Beruchasvili.15
According to one political observer who works with Georgian
politicians in the legislative committees, many of the influential
women in parliament have no interest specifically in issues
concerning women as they are aware that they would put their
career at risk if they were seen as "women's or feminist politicians."16
Conflicts in Abkhazia
and South Ossetia
Since 1989, major
conflicts erupted in the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
In both cases, the leaders of national movements attempted to
cut ties with Georgia (initially, in order to join Russian Federation)
relying on Russian political and military assistance.17
By 1994, when a
cease-fire was declared, the conflict in Abkhazia had resulted
in deaths of 10,000 people and produced 270,000 displaced persons:
Georgians, Abkhazians, Ossetians, Armenians, Russians and others.18
The Russian military has been stationed on four bases in Georgian
territory despite the country's leadership attempts to reduce
the Russian presence.19
Despite the cease-fire, eruptions of violence occur periodically,
the most recent in May 1998. As of May 1999, tensions between
the Georgian and the separatist administration in Abkhazia have
lessened and the sides returned to negotiations on the status
of the state.
In 1989, as in Abkhazia,
Georgia dismissed Ossetian claims for autonomy. In 1989, the
South Ossetia region had a population of 100,000 of whom over
sixty-six percent were Ossetes and twenty-nine percent were
Georgians.20 The conflict
that erupted in 1989 in South Ossetia was less violent than
that in Abkhazia. The war resulted in about a thousand of civilian
deaths, 30,000 to 100,000 refugees, and the destruction of ninety-three
villages.21 The cease-fire
has been in effect since 1992. Leaders in South Ossetia proclaimed
the "South Ossetian republic" declaring Ludwig Chibirov the
President. Elections for a parliament are scheduled for May
1999,22 over protests
from President Shevardnadze, who deems them illegal since the
talks concerning the settlement of the 1989-1992 Georgian-Ossetian
conflict have not concluded.23
Economy
Georgia's economic
situation remains fragile. After double-digit growth rates of
the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1996-1997 and the first
quarter of 1998, GDP growth fell to 2.9 percent for 1998. Experts
forecast a continued slowdown and a two-percent growth rate
in 1999. Georgia's economy has been affected by the crisis in
neighboring Russia. Georgia has one of the lowest tax rates
in the world (taxes constitute nine percent of the GDP), and
the government has been reluctant to initiate an unpopular reform
of the system which would increase the tax base.24
Moreover, economic reforms including privatization are at a
fairly early stage and the often inefficient public sector remains
large.25 One of the most
acute economic problems is the lack of energy, except for hydro-power,
which contributes to frequent shortages and electricity cutoffs
and has indebted Georgia to its neighbors.
Georgia has an important
geopolitical location in the Caucasus. It has been the primary
conduit for transporting goods in the area. It also will benefit
from two planned oil pipelines from Azerbaijan to be built in
its territory. Recently, cooperation with Azerbaijan has gained
momentum and in April 1999, one of the two planned oil pipelines
designed running from Azerbaijan through Georgia to the Black
Sea (Baku-Supsa) was completed.26
Georgia expects to earn US$7 million annually from oil transit
tariffs from the pipeline in addition to political benefits
stemming from a measure of control over important resources.27
The estimated per
capita income stood at US$840 in 1997. One-third of the population
lives in poverty. According to data released by the Georgian
State Department for Statistics in April 1999, unemployment
stands at about twelve percent.28
Human Rights and
Freedom of Expression
In April 1999, Human
Rights Watch (HRW) criticized Georgia for impunity of its security
forces. HRW blamed the Georgian government particularly for
its ineffective investigation of recent deaths of detainees
in police custody. There have been five such incidents in recent
years. In the most recent incident, a young woman died falling
from the window of the upper floors of the Ministry of Internal
Affairs building while being questioned. The 28-year-old Eka
Tavartkiladze plunged to her death during interrogation by three
police officers. The Ministry has declared the detainee deaths
to be suicides, but forensic reports were unable to conclude
if some of the severe open wounds and other injuries found on
Tavartkiladze were sustained prior to the fall. HRW called for
greater transparency of such investigations including publishing
the results in mass media.29
Media
Although the Georgian
media are well organized and have been able to report without
major constraints, the turbulent political events of recent
years and the government's attempts to retain political control
have affected some journalists and media outlets. In 1998, several
reporters suffered harassment and violent attacks. In June 1998,
the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of State Security
of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia filed libel suits against
the independent weekly Kavkasioni and its editor, Sozar Subeliani.30
In September 1998, armed attackers beat Lasha Nadareishvili
and David Okropiridze, editor in chief and a reporter of the
independent weekly Asaval-Dasavali.31
In another instance of harassment, the Ministry of Defense called
Amiran Meskheli, a correspondent for the newspaper Orioni, for
military service following the publication of an article containing
interviews with several soldiers. The Committee to Protect Journalists
(CPJ) also reported that some local governments have attempted
to limit media access to public information and harassed independent
media outlets by imposing politically motivated "overzealous
tax inspections."32
The Georgian press
law gives journalists and media outlets the right to file appeals
in disputes with government agencies over licensing and accreditation.
Although it explicitly prohibits censorship, the law contains
limits on reporting which provide opportunity for abuse. The
limits include disclosing "state secrets," hate speech and inflammatory
language, as well as encroachment on "the honor and dignity"
of citizens.33
Women's NGOs
Women's human rights
NGOs in Georgia focus on a variety of issues, such as reproductive
health, employment, political empowerment, environment, legal
aspects of women's status, employment, culture and arts. Many
groups collaborate on various issues and human rights reporting.
One of the most active organizations is the Georgian Young Lawyers'
Association (GYLA), which has a women's rights study group.
GYLA works to increase awareness of women's legal situation,
particularly in relation to domestic violence and family law.
The group provides free legal consultation to individuals (it
receives 30-40 calls a day), as well as workshops on domestic
and international legal instruments for women, such as CEDAW,
for women's NGOs. It also organizes training seminars for attorneys.34
The Feminist Club is a new organization established to promote
feminism and women's human rights in society; it is the only
NGO using the word "feminism" explicitly in its name and work.
The Family Planning
Association in Georgia (FPAGEO) advocates access to safe, effective
and affordable methods of family planning and sex education.
The organization views access to family planning education and
services as a human right. FPAGEO runs programs at some seventeen
camps for displaced people.35
The Georgian Association for Facilitating Women's Employment
Amagdari assists women in finding employment to improve their
social status and help women adjust to new socio-economic circumstances.
Amagdari has published articles analyzing Georgian women's disadvantageous
position in the labor market.36
The Women's Committee
of Abkhazia is a Georgian organization of women who were displaced
from the breakaway region. It represents displaced women who
live in extremely difficult conditions (such as hospitals, schools
and hotels turned into refugee centers), in their demands for
protection of rights to housing and assistance.37
The Centre for Strategic
Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG), an NGO which in
the past concentrated on various environmental and democratization-related
projects, also recently started working on women's issues.38
The International Women's Centre for Education and Information
(IWCEI) works to promote democratization in Georgia and emphasizes
women's education. IWCEI also supports women in arts and film-making.39
ACTIONS BY OTHER
HUMAN RIGHTS TREATY BODIES PERTAINING TO WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS:
International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights (1 April 1997). The Human Rights
Committee considered the initial report of Georgia (CCPR/C/79/Add.75)
on 26 and 27 March 1997.
Main Subjects of
Concern:
- In spite of the
elimination of inequalities before the law, women continue
to be the victims of unequal treatment and discrimination
in the political, economic and social spheres. Methods of
contraception other than abortion are very difficult to obtain.
- Increase in the
number of children affected by poverty and social dislocation
and the concomitant increase in the number of street children,
delinquents and drug addicts.
Suggestions and
Recommendations:
- Take urgent steps
to protect children in accordance with the provisions of article
24 of the Covenant.
- Draw up educational
and training programs with a view to developing a culture
of respect for human rights in all sectors of the population,
inter alia, judges, the security forces and prison personnel.
These programs should also emphasize that women are entitled
to full enjoyment of their fundamental rights.
Endnotes:
1
In the referendum, ninety-eight percent voted to secede.
back
2
Peter Nasmyth, Georgia. In the Mountains of Poetry (New
York, St. Martin's Press, 1998), xi. back
3
IWRAW interview with Johann Hammels on 9 September 1998,
Tbilisi, Georgia. back
4
Peter Nasmyth, xi. back
5
"Georgia Likely to Join the Council of Europe," BBC News
Online, 27 January 1999, available at http://www.bbc.co.uk.
back
6
World Bank, Countries: Georgia (September 1998), on-line,
available at http://www.worldbank.org, accessed 20 April 1999.
back
7
"GEORGIA," CIS Today (London: Arena Publications, Summer
1998): 98-99. back
8
Zviad Gamasakhurdia and his political party Round Table-Free
Georgia, emerged as Georgia was regaining independence in 1990.
He was elected president by sixty-two percent of the vote and
was subsequently ousted by a coalition of his enemies in 1992.
Gamasakhurdia, a poet and translator who believed that "Georgia
had been chosen by God to be the bridge between East and West,and
that God would appear on earth at the Final Judgment speaking
Georgian" and whom some dismissed as mentally unbalanced,8 died
in obscure circumstances in a remote village in Western Georgia
in December 1993 as he tried to retake power. His supporters
of the Round Table group remain in opposition and periodically
stage protests to remind they are still active. In February
1998, for instance, they held several UN observers hostage.
Gamasakhurdia has become a symbol of resistance for both separatists
and opposition back
9
"Politics of Oil Fuels Georgia Revolt," BBC News On-line,
19 October 1998, available at http://www.bbc.co.uk. back
10
Peter Nasmyth, xii. back
11
"Georgia: Risky Business," Economist Intelligence Unit,
10 April 1999, Nexis (19 April 1999). back
12
David Boyle, "Who tried to kill Eduard Shevardnadze?,"
CIS Today (London: Arena Publications, Summer 1998): 101-102.
back
13
"Georgian Leader Aware of New Assassination Plans," Interfax
News Agency (Russia), 5 April 1999; BBC (source: Prime-News
News Agency, Tbilisi, Georgia), 2 April 1999, Nexis (19 April
1999). back
14
"People in Power: Georgia," Cambridge International Reference
on Current Affairs (January 1999), Nexis (16 April 1999).
back
15
Ibid. back
16
IWRAW interview with Johann Hammels on 9 September 1998,
Tbilisi, Georgia. back
17
Gail W. Lapidus, "Conflict Resolution in the Caucasus,"
Congressional Program: U.S. Relations with Former Soviet States
vol. 13, no. 3 (Queenstown, MD: The Aspen Institute, 23rd conference
17-21 August 1998): 25. back
18
Lika Nadaraia, Feminist Club, Tbilisi, Georgia, draft report
on Georgia, January 1999; Steve LeVine, "A Lesson in Caucasus:
Even War Has Rules," New York Times, 14 February 1999, Nexis
(9 April 1999); World Bank, Countries: Georgia (September 1998),
on-line, available at http://www.worldbank.org, accessed 20
April 1999. back
19
Gail W. Lapidus, 27. back
20
Alexei Zveryev, "Ethnic Conflicts in the Caucasus 1988-1994,"
In: Bruno Coppieters, ed. Contested Borders in the Caucasus
(Brussels, Belgium: VUB University Press, 1996), 39. back
21
Ibid., 47. back
22
"Georgian President Confident that Azerbaijan-Turkey Pipeline
Will be Built," BBC, 19 April 1999, Nexis. back
23
"Georgians refuse to nominate candidates to South Ossetian
parliament," BBC (source: Prime-News News Agency, Tbilisi, Georgia),
23 April 1999, Nexis. back
24
"Georgia: Country Outlook," Economist Intelligence Unit,
14 April 1999, Nexis, 19 April 1999. back
25
World Bank, Countries: Georgia (September 1998), on-line,
available at http://www.worldbank.org, accessed 20 April 1999.
back
26
"Georgia: Country Outlook." back
27
Jeanne Whalen, "Pipiline Opens Way for Caspian Riches,"
Financial Times (London), 19 April 1999, Nexis. back
28
"Unemployment Figures Released," BBC (source: Kavkasia-Press
News Agency, Tbilisi, Georgia), 16 April 1999, Nexis, 19 April
1999; Out of 2.1 million people who are available to work, there
are 259,000 unemployed in Georgia. back
29
"International Human Rights body Censures Georgian Authorities
for Inertia," BBC (Kavkasia-Press News Agency, Tbilisi, Georgia),
18 April 1999, Nexis (19 April 1999). back
30
Committee to Protect Journalists, Country Report 1998:
Georgia, available from: http://www.cpj.org/countrystatus/1998/Europe/Georgia.html,
accessed on 13 April 1999. back
31
Ibid. back
32
Ibid. back
33
TransCaucasus: A Chronology: Press Freedom in Georgia,
1997, available at http://www.soros.org/caucasus/index.htm,
accessed 6 June 1998. back
34
IWRAW interview with Marina Meskhi and Tinatin Khidasheli
of GYLA on 15 and 16 September 1998, Tbilisi, Georgia. back
35
IWRAW interview with Nino Tsuleiskiri of FPAGEO, 18 September
1998, Tbilisi, Georgia. back
36
Brochure of Amagdari ; IWRAW interview with Nino Shioshvili
on September in Tbilisi, Georgia. back
37
IWRAW interview with Roza Kukhalasvili of Women's Committee
of Abkhazia on 17 September 1998, Tbilisi, Georgia. back
38
IWRAW interview with Irina Khantadze of CSRDG on 16 September
1998, Tbilisi, Georgia. back
39
IWRAW interview with Tamara Abramishvili of the International
Women's Centre for Education and Information on 18 September
1998, Tbilisi, Georgia. back
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