Women this week: President Salome Zourabichvili leads a protest against the pro-Russian ruling party

Calls for investigation into ‘Russian Special Operation’

This week, the president of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvililed tens of thousands of protesters to the capital Tbilisi. Zourabichvili and his fellow protesters believe Georgian Dream – which currently holds a majority in parliament – falsely claimed victory in the last election on October 26. Georgian Dream – a Russian-backed party led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili – claimed victory with almost 54% of the vote, despite opposition polls showing figures well below 50%. Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and national leaders thereafter he asked Georgia’s Central Election Commission to “fulfil its duty to promptly, transparently and independently investigate and adjudicate electoral irregularities and allegations thereof.” Zourabichvili has been at the forefront of efforts to resist Georgian Dream’s crackdown on democracy and rights. Ivanishvili has vowed to create a one-party regime, calling the opposition “enemies of the country” and “cancer” and leading efforts to clamp down on civil society organizations. The election marks a key moment in the years-long battle between majority of 89 percent of Georgians who want to join the European Union (EU) and those trying to get closer to Putin’s Russia, which has occupied two Georgian territories, South Ossetia and Abkhazia since 2008. Zourabichvili also opposed a anti-LGBT+ bill passed by parliament last month; both laws prompted a warning from the EU that the rights-restricting legislation would derail the country’s bid to join the EU, contrary to the body’s democratic norms.

The Taliban are trying to prevent women from hearing the voices of other women

In it the last edict By targeting women’s behavior, the Taliban appear to be trying to prevent women from hearing the voices of other women. In a voice recording published and later deleted, the Minister for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, Khalid Hanafi, said: “Even when an adult woman is praying and another woman passes by her, she should not pray loud enough for them to hear. ” According to the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic law, a woman’s voice is considered awrah and therefore she should be covered, besides her whole body. Women in Afghanistan remain severely restricted in their public and private lives and have most recently been banned speaking loudly inside their homes to prevent their voices from being heard outside. “I feel depressed. The world is advancing in technology and having fun with their lives, but here we can’t even hear each other,” said a former civil servant in Kabul. telegraph.

The United Nations announces efforts to strengthen the role of women in peace efforts

This week, the United Nations Security Council announced a new initiative called “Joint Commitment” to strengthen and enforce the equal participation of women in peace processes. The commitment, which came as the Council began its debate on women, peace and security issues, will include measures to ensure that women are appointed as lead mediators in peace processes and that women local leaders and members of civil society are consult as part of any efforts. . The initiative also aims to ensure that peace agreements include a gender-sensitive approach and that conflicting parties are encouraged to include and promote the meaningful participation of women. UN Under-Secretary-General Amina Mohammed stressed that “it is imperative that we strengthen our resolve to support women who stand up for their rights, agency and inclusion at every opportunity.” The role of women in peace processes globally remains abysmal, with most peace processes including no women in leadership roles or as signatories.