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EUMM discusses gender issues with Georgian military
31-08-2010
The EU Monitoring Mission’s (EUMM) Field Office in Mtskheta has held a Gender Workshop for Georgian military personnel, bringing together 29 participants to discuss issues surrounding women’s rights.
According to a press release, the event began with a presentation on the framework of international agreements regarding gender issues and the legal framework aiming to improve gender equality or rebalance the equilibrium regarding female rights. There followed presentations on the national experiences of a sample of countries participating in the EUMM, namely Bulgaria, Romania, Sweden and the UK.
Topics covered by the EUMM team included the recruitment and requirements for female military personnel, issues around maternity and career progression, as well as media reporting of female personnel, and the attitude of their male colleagues. The role of women in the military generated lively debate, the press release said, as male and female delegates considered the relevant issues and questions such as whether strength or strategy was more important.
Georgian Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces personnel actively participated in the Q&A and workshop discussions, sharing their national experiences. The event provided a good opportunity for the Field Office staff to meet and interact with Georgian personnel, and an informal gathering after the event further reinforced new relationships.
The European Union Monitoring Mission mandate in Georgia has been extended by the decision of the Council of the European Union until 14 September 2011. EUMM was deployed and began its operations on 1 October 2008 as a result of the Six-Point agreement signed between President Medvedev and President Sarkozy in the aftermath of the 2008 conflict between Russia and Georgia.
The Mission is mandated to monitor the compliance of all parties with the Six-Point agreement and, in close coordination with the UN and the OSCE and consistent with other EU activities, to contribute to stabilisation, normalisation and confidence building in Georgia, whilst at the same time providing information to the European policy. (ENPI Info Centre)
EUMM website
ENPI Info Centre webpage – Georgia
