Women increasingly contribute to strengthening security near the lines of control

Supported by UN Women, the meeting was led by the Office of the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality (OSMRCE), with the participation of the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) and high-ranking representatives from the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM).The meeting focused on the outcomes of the latest Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meetings that recently took place in Ergneti and Gali. Discussion centred around a number of topics, including the everyday security of the population living in villages adjacent to the control lines; challenges related to accessing education in native languages; the need for humanitarian crossing for schoolchildren and for emergency medical evacuations; and the need for economic and employment opportunities for the conflict-affected population.

“These meetings help us to better understand the full-scale impact on the lives of women and girls living along the control line,” remarked Head of EUMM Kęstutis Jankauskas.

Women and their organizations called upon the IPRM participants for a more effective response to their humanitarian needs. They also offered their cooperation in providing additional information that may help to address key humanitarian and security issues of their concern.

Zviad Zviadadze (OSMRCE), Kakhaber Kemoklidze (SSSG), and other IPRM participants ensured the women that their voices are being heard and that cooperation with the local population on addressing the humanitarian and security situation is highly appreciated.

The IPRM information meetings have been initiated and organized by UN Women since 2014. Since 2016, the meetings have been chaired by the OSMRCE, with technical support from UN Women and financial support from the Government of Poland. The next meeting will take place in early 2017.