Opening remarks by the EU Ambassador to Georgia, Pawel Herczynski at National Gender Equality Conference

Madam President, excellences, distinguished guests,

 It is a great honour to join you and other speakers at the National Conference on Gender Equality. Our coming together is very timely as we have just marked human rights day and 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.

 Today, several important topics will be discussed from women in politics, femicide, violence against women and social rights to guide us towards gender equality. However, achieving gender equality does not happen overnight, it takes hard work, time and commitment. As for the European Union, we are still on this journey. As you know the President of the European Parliament is Roberta Metsola. She is not the first female President, but still only the third since 1979. As for Ursula von der Leyen, she is actually the first woman to hold the office of the President of the European Commission (an institution first set up in 1958). We are no means in a position to claim victory or to claim to have a ready-made roadmap for others to follow. We are in this together and to learn from each other.

I use this opportunity to welcome the Government of Georgia on the adoption of the rule for granting compensation to the victims of domestic violence, the approval of the 7th national action plan on combatting violence against women and measures to protect victims, and the 2022-2024 national action plan for the Implementation of the UN Security Council resolution on Women, Peace and Security. It is indeed exemplary that these documents have been elaborated in a collaborative process with the major stakeholders involved.

 And now in front of us, is the road ahead, we need to consolidate our efforts to bring the national action plans to a reality. On this road, the European Union is a strong and reliable partner, supporting and contributing to the positive change, when it comes to gender equality and the fight against gender-based violence.

 It is our shared vision to strive for gender equality and fight against gender-based violence. But even more so now, why? Because Georgia, by applying for EU membership and now, with the European Perspective, committed itself further to strive towards gender equality. Let’s seize this focus and use this momentum for gender equality and for the betterment of all society.

 As the EU representative in the country, I am particularly proud and happy to see that with us, many EU Member States, are actively involved in supporting gender equality activities in Georgia too. As I said, we are all in this together.

 I look forward to the conference, which I hope will become a platform for high-level dialogue and information exchange to achieve our common goals.

 Thank you!