On April 27, 2011, State Inter-Agency Council on Domestic Violence, supported by the UNFPA/Georgia, conducted a meeting with the representatives of ethnic minorities on domestic violence at the Hotel Courtyard Marriott.

The meeting aimed at disseminating information about the work of the State Inter-Agency Council on Domestic Violence, sharing information about services available for the victims of domestic violence and strengthening partnerships with the representatives of the ethnical minorities on domestic violence.

Vice-Speaker of the Parliament and the Chair of the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Gender Equality, Ms. Rusudan Kervalishvili, Chair of the Inter-Agency Council Ms. Lali Papiashvili and UNFPA Assistant Representative in Georgia Ms. Tamar Khomasuridze made opening remarks at the event, followed by an intense discussion with the participation of the representatives of ethnic minorities.

Tamar Khomasuridze, UNFPA Assistant Representative in Georgia: “Bringing together dynamics of human rights, gender and culture is a cross-cutting approach in combating gender-based violence, therefore engaging representatives of ethnic, religious and cultural minorities in prevention efforts is the key to effectively addressing the problem.”

The Inter-Agency Council on Domestic Violence was established under the Presidential Decree in 2008 and aims at strengthening coordination between governmental, international and non-governmental sectors in the field.

According to the National Research on Domestic Violence against Women conducted by UNFPA/Georgia in 2009, every 11th women ever married in Georgia has been a victim of physical violence; 78% think that domestic violence is a family affair and should not be discussed publically and 34% of women think husbands are justified in beating their wives in certain cases.