Women‘s Rights

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Chechnya

Migrant worker beaten in Chechnya for ‘approaching’ Chechen woman

by Luiza Mchedlishvili

•1 min read

A migrant worker in Grozny has purportedly been beaten up on camera for ‘approaching’ a Chechen woman. On Monday, ChP Chechnya, a local Telegram channel, published footage purportedly shot in Chechnya showing a man beating another man in the distance. In another video, a crowd is seen surrounding the two men, one of whom appears to be visibly injured, and another warning onlookers against ‘approaching’ Chechen women. ‘There is no Nazism here: we treat everyone with respect, we treat ever

Zalina Marshenkulova. Photo via Yeltsin Centre

Kabarda–Balkaria

Feminist blogger from Kabarda–Balkaria charged with justification of terrorism

by Luiza Mchedlishvili

•1 min read

Russia has charged a feminist activist from Kabarda–Balkaria with ‘justifying terrorism’ over comments she made on social media. Russia’s Investigative Committee pressed charges against journalist and feminist activist Zalina Marshenkulova on 10 April. Baza, a Telegram news channel, reported that Marshenkulova was charged after commenting on the murder of Vladlen Tatarsky, a Russian pro-war blogger who was assassinated in Saint Petersburg earlier this month in an explosion that injured more

Georgia

Georgian parliament rushes amendments to abolish gender quotas

by Tata Shoshiashvili

•2 min read

Georgia’s parliament has voted to repeal gender quotas in parliamentary election lists in a session rife with clashes and exchanges of insults between MPs. On Thursday, the parliament approved amendments to the Election Code, reversing changes made in 2020 according to which every fourth candidate in a party’s election list needed to be of a different gender to the previous three. The ruling party announced their support for the initiative, tabled by the libertarian Girchi — New Political

Parliament bureau session. 25 March 2024. Image: Parliament.ge

Georgia

Georgian Dream to repeal parliament gender quotas

by Shota Kincha

•2 min read

Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party has announced they will support an initiative to drop gender quotas for party election lists. The party announced their plans to support a proposal from Girchi — New Political Centre to amend the electoral code on Monday. The gender quotas were introduced by the ruling party in 2020, receiving cross-party support in parliament. The current rules mean that every fourth person on a party’s electoral list must be of the opposite gender to the previous three

Ani Jilosyan (left), the director of development at the Women’s Support Centre, Tereza Panchoyan (right), girlunmuted on Instagram. Illustration by Mariam Nikuradze.

Armenia

Podcast | Against shame culture: virginity tests and sex education in Armenia

by OC Media

•1 min read

Last week, a bill on domestic violence passed its first hearing in Armenia’s parliament. The changes would classify virginity tests, a controversial practice meant to determine whether a person’s hymen is intact, as a form of domestic violence. This week, we speak to Ani Jilosian of the Women’s Support Centre about what these amendments could mean and to Tereza Panchoyan, or Girlunmuted, an Instagram blogger, about attitudes towards sex in Armenia and the importance of bet

Armenia

Armenian police ‘forced Ingush domestic abuse victim to meet family’

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•3 min read

An Ingush domestic abuse victim seeking asylum in Armenia was allegedly temporarily placed in police custody after being reported missing by her uncle, who rights groups claim was allowed to meet her at the police station. On Tuesday, the Armenian police found Fatima Zurabova, 21, in Ashtarak, a town northwest of Yerevan, and took her into their custody in Yerevan. Armenia’s Investigative Committee said that a friend of her relatives had reported her missing to the Armenian authorities on 10

Protesters taking part in a Women's Solidarity March in Tbilisi on 2 April 2023. Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.

Abortion

Rights defenders raise concerns as Georgia introduces mandatory pre-abortion consultations

by Tata Shoshiashvili

•3 min read

Georgia’s Health Ministry has complicated the process a person has to go through to obtain an abortion, introducing mandatory counselling with a psychologist and social worker prior to the procedure, in a move that women’s rights defenders say could be aimed at providing a barrier to access. A decree announcing the changes was published on the Georgian Legislative Herald’s website on 27 October, but was discovered by Georgian media on Tuesday. From 1 January 2024, anyone seeking to terminate