The latest case of violence against a woman occurred in Georgia yesterday after a man wounded his ex-wife and shot the woman’s husband several times in Tulari village of Sagarejo Municipality. The woman survived and is currently undergoing treatment at the clinic.

According to Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) data, the number of violent cases against women has soared. From January to September 2023, 525 women were victims of various sorts of violence throughout the country. During the same period, 573 restraining orders were issued.

The European Commission released a report on November 8th that praised the state’s response to incidents of gender-based violence and the responses of relevant institutions. Local NGOs and human rights advocates share this very stance, however, they argue that preventative efforts are insufficient.

“Even though the detection rate of violence against women and domestic violence is increasing every year, too many cases are still covered, which indicates the insufficiency of preventive measures,” said Ekaterine Skhiladze, a human rights expert.

The Center for Social Justice surveyed the kinds of support programs available in Georgia for women exposed to violence and identified a number of problems along with positive dynamics.

Victims can receive psychosocial, legal, and medical services at seven crisis centers across the country. Mobile Application “112 Georgia” and the domestic violence hotline (116 06) are also available – calls are anonymous; nevertheless, the issue of medical expenditures is complicated, and only the Tbilisi office operates 24 hours a day.

It has been 5 months since it became easier to access to shelters, and it is feasible to obtain assistance even if you are not a victim or sufferer, albeit more referrals necessitate an increase in programs.

“The policy on violence against women shows significant legislative and institutional progress, but one of the major challenges is that psychosocial services, health services, and other essential services are not available,” said Director of the Center for Social Justice | Equality Policy Program, Tamta Mikeladze.

Official data illustrate that psychological violence accounts for the majority of violent crimes, with physical and sexual violence following.

This year, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is marking the launch of the UNiTE campaign (Nov 25-Dec 10) an initiative of 16 days of activism concluding on the day that commemorates the International Human Rights Day (10 December).

In addition to urging governments all over the globe to disclose the resources they are allocating to the prevention of gender-based violence, this 2023 campaign to prevent violence against women and girls also asks individuals to demonstrate their commitment to seeing an end to violence against women and girls.

Along with 187 nations, Georgia has joined the campaign. Georgian Public Broadcaster is also actively involved in the campaign for the elimination of violence against women with different activities.