Academic Conference “Women’s Rights in Legal Discourse”

The International Law Institute of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU), in partnership with Promoting Rule of Law in Georgia (PROLoG) Program of East-West Management Institute, held an academic conference “Women’s Rights in Legal Discourse” in frames of a 16-day campaign against gender violence. The purpose of the conference was to encourage academic debates in Georgia on international standards and practice of women’s rights.
In frames of the conference, professors of several generations from the International Law Institute, field experts and students from various higher educational institutions discussed practical and legal aspects of gender issues, such as gender-based oppression in the workplace; practical barriers to taking maternity leave; implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in Georgia; gender in the context of international criminal law; domestic violence and problems related to its prevention; gender quotas in politics; female genital mutilation, etc.
The conference was opened by Prof. Ketevan Khutsishvili, head of gender and law direction at TSU, who spoke about the goals and topicality of the conference. The following persons addressed the participants: Prof. Mari Meskhi of David Agmashenebeli University of Georgia; Maka Peradze of the Georgian Interior Ministry; Ketevan Gomelauri of Innovations and Reforms Center, as well as the representatives of the Center for Social Sciences and the Public Defender’s Office.
Five best speakers were revealed by the end of the event. All participants were awarded certificates and symbolic prizes from the organizers and partners of the conference. Similar conferences help attract attention to social issues that encourages further debates around these issues and increases the probability of problem resolution.