The lack of friendly policies, such as mentorship programs,
financial support, barriers can pose significant challenges for women in politics, especially those with responsibilities.
The global Covid-19 pandemic has had a dramatic world-wide impact on the gains women had made in the achievement of their rights over many years. Women were at the front line of caring both paid as health and social care workers and because they had to bear the burden of unpaid care disproportionately. Domestic violence increased and the options to escape from violent situations became more difficult. Women’s paid employment decreased as did funding for voluntary and community organizations that supported the most disadvantaged women and girls. Post pandemic economic support and recovery plans
have often neglected the needs of women. Other developments in the wider international and regional context have increased these challenges and pressures including a backlash against the human rights of women, the persistence of violence against women, an increase in sexist hate speech, including on-line, budgetary cuts and austerity impacting on access to economic resources and for individual women. This also means that it is more difficult to fund and resource the institutional
mechanisms required to ensure that any gender equality laws and policies at local and national level are enforced and monitored effectively.
Gender equality is one of the key indicators to measure how developed a country is. Georgia’s articulated objective to become a member of a European family implies country’s approximation to not only European economy and legislation but also sharing fundamental values, including those of gender equality.