Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan

1. Gender – a social aspect of relation between sexes which is expressed in all spheres of public life and implies opinions formed about different sexes through socialisation.1

2. Gender equality – a part of human rights which implies equal rights and duties, responsibilities and equal participation of men and women in all spheres of personal and public lives.2 1 Law of Georgia on Gender equality, Article 3, (a), 2010. 2 Law of Georgia on Gender equality, Article 3, (b), 2010. 3

3. Gender mainstreaming – consideration of principles of the gender equality in all spheres and at all levels of policy-making and its implementation.3

4. Gender budgeting – Gender budgeting means a gender-based assessment of budgets, incorporating a gender perspective at all levels of the budgetary process and restructuring revenues and expenditures in order to promote gender equality.4

5. Equal opportunities – a system of means and conditions for achieving equality of rights and freedoms for men and women. 5

6. Equal treatment – recognition of equal rights and opportunities for both sexes in family relations and other aspects of social and political life when determining education, labour and social conditions, as well as the inadmissibility of discrimination on the grounds of sex.6

7. Sexual harassment - includes such unwelcome sexually determined behaviour as physical contact and advances, sexually coloured remarks, showing pornography and sexual demand, whether by words or actions. Such conduct can be humiliating and may constitute a health and safety problem; it is discriminatory when the woman has reasonable grounds to believe that her objection would disadvantage her in connection with her employment, including recruitment or promotion, or when it creates a hostile working environment.7 The terms used in this document (hereinafter, Strategy and Action Plan) have the meanings as defined by the Georgian legislation. II. Scope of regulation The document of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia (hereinafter, the Ministry) – Gender Equality Strategy and the Action Plan - is based on the fundamental guarantees of equal rights, freedoms and opportunities for women and men determined by the Georgian Constitution and legislation; it takes into account international commitments of Georgia and the policy of the Georgian government in the field of gender equality. The Ministry is doing its best to establish the principles of gender equality in the system of the Ministry and ensures development and implementation of the policy for 3 Parliament of Georgia, The State Concept on the Gender Equality,, Definition of Terms, 2006. 4 European Commission, Opinion on Gender Budgeting, Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men , 2003. 5 Law of Georgia on Gender equality, Article 3, (g), 2010. 6 Law of Georgia on Gender equality, Article 3, (h), 2010. 7 The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, General recommendation No. 19, 1992, Article 11, Paragraph 18. 4 achieving equality of rights and freedoms for women and men. Within the competence of the Ministry, the work to support gender equality and expand the opportunities for women has especially beneficial impact on the Ministry’s beneficiaries. Beneficiaries of the Ministry are: Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), families affected by and displaced as a result of natural disasters (eco- migrants), repatriates, returned migrants, refugees or humanitarian status holders and asylum-seekers. The beneficiaries of the Ministry are very often in need of special care and attention from the government and thus, it is important that the government address protection of the rights for women, girls, men and boys more vigorously taking into account diversity of their needs and priorities. In compliance with the Law of Georgia on Gender Equality, the state should “ensure that there is no discrimination in any aspect of public life; create proper conditions for realisation of equal rights, freedoms and opportunities for men and women; prevent and eliminate any discrimination.”8 The Strategy for Gender Equality will help the Ministry to carry out relevant activities in the limits of its competence for achieving gender equality and eliminating all forms of discrimination. The Strategy for Gender Equality is based on the Georgian Constitution and the international commitments of Georgia, Laws of Georgia on Gender Equality and Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination, also on other legislative and normative acts; the Strategy reflects the policy – national action plans9 of the government of Georgia in the field of gender equality. III. The goal of the strategy The goal of this Strategy is to implement the state policy on gender equality and support its integration into the activities of the Ministry. The Strategy will promote better determination and address different needs and priorities for women, men, boys and girls. 8 Law of Georgia on Gender Equality, Article 2, 2010. 9 National Action Plan of Georgia on Gender Equality; National Action Plan to implement UN Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security; Resolution of the Government of Georgia, #339, 2016, Action Plan to Implement Measures to Combat Violence against Women and Domestic Violence and for Protection of the Victims, Resolution of the Government of Georgia, #341, 2016. 5 This Strategy and respective two-year Action Plan will be used by the Ministry as a framework while defining its directions and priorities. The progress of the implementation of the Action Plan will be assessed on an annual basis and the Action Plan will be updated once in two years. IV. Key principles of the strategy a) Promotion and observance of gender equality This principle envisages implementation of gender mainstreaming in the processes of development, implementation and monitoring of the Ministry’s policy. Proceeding from the principle mentioned above the collection of data and its analysis need further segregation in terms of gender of both the beneficiaries of the Ministry and its employees. This analysis will allow the Ministry to assess the efficiency of its work in terms of meeting various needs and priorities of beneficiary women, girls, men and boys, on the one hand, and on the other, to assess the gender balance of the Ministry employees including position-wise. b) Prevention and elimination of discrimination Any kind of discrimination within the system of the Ministry while selecting the staff, or at the working place or while implementing the activities of the Ministry is unacceptable. Discrimination is expressed by making distinction in recognition of rights and fundamental freedoms, by providing unequal opportunities, or lessening or neglecting these opportunities and is exercised in either direct or indirect form. Both prevention and elimination of discrimination within the Ministry system is feasible by creating equal opportunities both for men and women and by ensuring actual application of equal rights. c) Prevention and elimination of sexual harassment Any form of sexual harassment within the Ministry system is fundamentally unaccepted. The Ministry is committed to set up an efficient mechanism of elimination of and reaction to sexual harassment within the Ministry system. 6 V. Strategic goals

1. To set up institutional mechanism for gender equality in the Ministry system and ensure its efficient functioning and to promote gender equality principles in its activities;

2. To promote creation of the environment in the Ministry system based on the principle of gender equality (including training of its employees and increasing their awareness on the issues of women’s rights and gender equality);

3. To ensure the implementation of the Ministry’s international obligations under the legislation and commitments in the field of gender equality, within its competence;

4. To improve transparency of the Ministry’s activities in compliance with the communication strategy;

5. To establish close collaboration with non-governmental sector, international and local organizations working on relevant issues in the process of discussing the issues of gender equality;

6. To promote identification of sexual harassment or any other forms of discrimination in the system of the Ministry within its competence and to react adequately;

7. To ensure implementation of internal survey and analysis on the issues of gender equality in the Ministry system and in compliance with the analysis to implement gender budgeting in the process of budget planning of the ministry; VI. Strategic objectives

1. To set up institutional system, promoting gender equality in the Ministry from April 2017, which is expressed through creating a position of an Advisor to the Minister on gender issues in the central office of the Ministry and in the territorial bodies – appointing contact persons on gender issues; 7

2. To ensure efficient functioning of the Commission on Gender Equality Issues set up in the Ministry in order to coordinate implementation of this Strategy and the Action Plan; 3.. To promote the competence of the Ministry high-rank officials and employees in the field of gender analysis, gender-sensitive planning, monitoring and evaluation; to arrange educational/informational measures for the Ministry employees on the issues of women’s rights and gender equality;

4. To implement the commitments stipulated in the National Action Plan on the Measures to be implemented for Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence and Protection of Victims/Survivors

5. To implement the UN Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security and commitments stipulated in National Action Plan and commitments stipulated in Gender Equality National Action Plan;

6. To provide public with regularly updated information about gender issues, progress of gender-sensitive strategies and the outcomes according to the communications strategy of the Ministry;

7. To involve the representatives of the civil society in the implementation and monitoring process of the Strategy for Gender Equality and the Action Plan, including through development and implementing joint measures;

8. To create an effective policy against sexual harassment and relevant appeals handling mechanism in the Ministry and to increase the employees’ awareness in this regard;

9. To plan the strategies, programs and projects developed by the Ministry in the light of gender needs and analysis, which will reflect diversity of needs and priorities of women, men, boys and girls;

10. To process the information from gender perspective, to implement the regular collection of gender- disaggregated data and analysis system in the Ministry; VII. Implementation and monitoring of the strategy 8

1. To achieve the goals and objectives defined by the Strategy for Gender equality, the Ministry and its structural units including LEPL IDP Livelihood Agency will take an active part in the development of the detailed and realistic Action Plan for the implementation of the Strategy for Gender Equality and in the process of the Action Plan implementation. Gender issues will be addressed in the ongoing programs and projects.

2. The funding source of the Strategy for Gender Equality and the Action Plan will be budgetary and non-budgetary sources, as well as institutional and other resources.

3. The implementation of this Strategy is the responsibility of the Commission for Gender Equality Issues. Certain amendments, particularly, integration of gender aspects, will be introduced in the current internal normative acts of the Ministry, if needed. The Commission for Gender Equality Issues set up in the Ministry is responsible for implementation of the Action Plan and has a coordinating role.4. As a result of monitoring of the Strategy implementation, the efficiency of the measures will be regularly evaluated and the Strategy will be updated- upgraded in the light of new circumstances VIII. Action Plan of 2016-2017 Objectives Activities Indicators (of objectives) Timeline Budget Strategic goal 1: To set up an institutional mechanism of gender equality in the Ministry system and 47.704.00 GEL ensure its efficient functioning and to promote gender equality principles in its activities; Objective 1. From April 2017 1.1 By April 2017 the 1.1. The gender equality 2017 1.1 14.100.00 GEL the gender equality Ministry shall create a promoting institutional 1.2 1.75.00 GEL promoting institutional position of a gender advisor system is in place in the 1.3 31.500.00 GEL system is set up in the to the Minister and appoint a Ministry from April 2017 Ministry person with the relevant qualification; Basis: The gender equality 1.2. Job description of the promoting institutional gender advisor to the Minister 9 shall be developed and system is not in place in the approved; Ministry in 2016 1.3 In each territorial body of the Ministry, an employee Goal: By April 2017 there is a having the relevant position of a gender advisor, qualification shall be allocated, the person with the relevant who will act as a contact qualification is appointed and person on gender issues in the in each territorial body of the region; Ministry a contact person on gender issues in region is allocated. Objective 2. Efficient 2.1. The Statute of the 2.1. The evidence that the 2016-2017 2.1 1.113.00 GEL functioning of the Commission for Gender commission on gender issues 2.3 816.00 GEL Commission for Gender Equality Issues, the Strategy for set up in the Ministry is Equality Issues set up in the Gender Equality and the functioning efficiently Action Plan shall be developed Ministry is ensured in order in the Ministry; to coordinate 2.2. Regular work of the Basis: As of August 2016, One implementation of this Commission shall be ensured Commission meeting was held, Strategy and the Action and the Commission shall neither the Strategy for Plan; monitor the implementation of Gender equality, nor the the decisions made by the Action Plan has been Commission; approved. 2.3. A special annual report on the performance of the Commission shall be prepared Goal: To arrange at least 4 for the Minister; meetings a year and to prepare 2.4. Necessary resolutions to adequate protocols; to develop implement the recommendations of the 10 participatory gender audit shall the Strategy for Gender be developed and the Equality and the Action Plan monitoring shall be carried out 2.2. % participatory gender on the execution of the audit recommendations decisions. implemented Basis: As of August 2016, % of % participatory gender audit recommendations were implemented Goal: To implement minimum 60% of participatory gender audit recommendations Strategic goal 2: To promote creation of the environment in the Ministry system based on the gender 3.920.00 GEL equality principle (including training of its employees and increasing their awareness on the issues of women’s rights and gender equality); 11 Objective 3. The competence 3.1. Raising the competence of 3.1 Percentage of the Ministry 2016-2017 3.1 1.310.00 GEL of the Ministry authorities and the Ministry authorities and employees who have 3.2 2.610.00 GEL the employees has been raised the employees in the field of undergone special training on gender analysis, gender- in the field of gender analysis, the issues of gender and sensitive planning, gender-sensitive planning, women’s rights monitoring and evaluation; monitoring and evaluation; 3.2. Arranging educational/ educational/ informational informational measures on Basis: As of August 2016, The measures on the issues of the issues of women’s rights activities carried out did not women’s rights and gender and gender equality for the have a systematic nature and equality for the employees of employees of the central were based only on the territorial bodies of the the Ministry have been carried initiative of international and Ministry. out. local NGOs Goal: By the end of 2017 at least 60% of the employees will be trained in the direction of conducting gender-sensitive analysis, planning and monitoring; furthermore, they will be informed about women’s rights. Strategic goal 3. To ensure implementation of International commitments in the field of gender equality 69.032.00 GEL and envisaged by the legislation on gender equality within the competence of the Ministry; Objective 4. To implement 4.1. The Ministry being the 4.1 Percentage of the activities 2016-2017 4.1 1.024.00 GEL the commitments stipulated agency implementing accomplished in compliance 4.2; 4.3 815.00 GEL in the National Action Plan prevention of violence against with the commitments on the Measures to be women and domestic stipulated by the Action Plan 12 Implemented for Combating violence, proceeding from the Violence against Women National Action Plan, shall Basis: Completed 45% of the and Domestic Violence and develop annual internal action activities envisaged by Action regulations and shall integrate Protection of Plan them into the internal Victims/Survivors institutional action plan; 4.2. Together with the relevant Goal: At least 80% of the agencies the Ministry shall activities envisaged by the organize educational and Action Plan has been informational meetings in accomplished by December, Tbilisi and regions with the 2017 IDPs on the issues of violence against women (including the issues of early marriage) and domestic violence, also for the purpose of promotion of government services 4.3. The Ministry shall ensure distribution of special materials on prevention of domestic violence, such as informational handbooks among beneficiaries. Objective 5. The 5.1 To organize consulting 5.1 Percentage of 2016-2017 5.1 722.00 GEL commitments of the UN meetings twice a year with accomplished activities in 5.2 920.00 GEL Security Council Resolutions IDPs, women who suffered terms of commitments 5.3 51.200.00 GEL on Women, Peace and Security from conflicts and with their stipulated in the Action Plan 5.4 14.315.00 GEL and commitments stipulated family members in regard to 13 in Gender Equality National the sexual or other gender Basis: Completed 45% of the Action Plans have been related violence and other activities envisaged by Action accomplished security related risks, such as Plan war residues, restriction of freedom of relocation and Goal: At least 80% of the threats of illegal detention; 5.2 The Ministry being an activities envisaged by the assisting agency shall provide Action Plan shall be organization of at least 10 free accomplished consulting meetings of legal assistance for women and girls residing in the regions by the boundary line; 5.3. The Ministry shall provide internally displaced women and girls and their family members with the regular provision of legal assistance; 45.4 The Ministry shall ensure increase of awareness of the availability of vocational and educational programs for the internally displaced and conflict-affected women, as well as their financial support so that they could take part in the vocational-educational programs and shall award small grants on the basis of co- financing, which will facilitate the economic strengthening of women; 14 Strategic goal 4. To improve transparency of the Ministry’s activities in compliance with the 1.267.00 GEL communications strategy; Objective 6. Public is 6.1 The information on gender 6.1. Number of circulated 2016-2017 6.1 1.267.00 GEL provided with regularly updated issues shall be regularly publications, news on the information about gender issues, updated on the website of the progress of gender-sensitive website of the Ministry, social Ministry, in the electronic and strategies and the outcomes in network and media. print digests of the news, in the compliance with the Basis: 5 news on Gender Issues. communications strategy of the newspapers of the national Ministry; level and social media Goal: at least 8news/publications on Gender Issues Strategic goal 5. To establish close collaboration with non-governmental sector, international and local 3.630.00 GEL organizations working on the issues of gender equality while discussing the issues of gender equality; Objective 7. Representatives 7.1. Collaboration with the 7.1 Number of joint 2016-2017 7.1 1.815.00 GEL of the civil society are organizations working on initiatives accomplished by 7.2 1.815.00 GEL involved in the the gender issues at the the Ministry, civil society and implementation and regional/local level and non-governmental monitoring process of the provision of their regular organizations; Strategy for Gender Equality involvement in the activities and the Action Plan, including planned by the Ministry; in developing and 7.2. Arranging meetings with Basis: 2 joint initiatives implementing joint measures; the beneficiaries of the Ministry in participation and in collaboration with the Goal: at least 4 joint relevant and stakeholder initiatives structures/ organizations both in Tbilisi and the regions; 15 Strategic goal 6. To promote identification of sexual harassment or any other forms of discrimination in 1.060.00 GEL the system of the Ministry within its competence and to react adequately; to carry out relevant preventive measures; Objective 8. An efficient 8.1. Piloting online internet 8.1 Number of employees 2016 8.1 UNWOMEN mechanism for the policy against courses against sexual trained in the Ministry on the 8.2 1.060.00 GEL sexual harassment and relevant harassment for the employees of appeals handling is created in the the Ministry; topic of sexual harassment Ministry and the employees’ 8.2. Developing and approving awareness in this regard is being special regulations for the Basis: 0% in 2016 increased; Ministry Goal: 100% of the relevant employees in 2017 8.2 Special regulations for the Ministry system are developed/approved Basis: To be defined in 2017 Goal: To develop/approve special regulations for the Ministry system by 2017 Strategic goal 7. To ensure implementation of internal survey and analysis on the issues of gender 15.421.00 GEL equality in the Ministry system and in compliance with the analysis to implement gender budgeting in the process of budget planning of the Ministry; Objective 9. The strategies, 8.1.Implementing gender 9.1 Number of such 2016-2017 9.1 14.551.00 GEL programs and projects developed mainstreaming of the documents and programs 9.2 870.00 GEL by the Ministry are implemented strategies, policy documents in the light of gender needs and and internal regulations of the 16 analysis, which reflect diversity Ministry; Basis: 3 Documents of needs and priorities of women, 8.2 Using gender budgeting men, boys and girls; principles in the process of Goal: 6 Documents budget planning Objective 10. The information 10.1 Developing methodology Data processing system is 10.1 294.00 GEL in the light of gender for the collection of gender- introduced; available analytical 10.2 3.505.00 GEL perspective is being processed disaggregated data taking into material is being used in the in the system of the Ministry, account the best International process of budgeting and regular collection of gender- practices; program development; disaggregated data is being 10.2 Introducing an efficient implemented and the system for system for the collection of Basis: To be defined in June, the analysis of such data is in gender-disaggregated data in 2017 place. the direction of information processing and analysis; Goal: To be defined in2017 SUM 145.833.00 GEL 17