STOP THE VIOLENCE: TALKING IS THE FIRST STEP
Embassy Political and Public Affairs sections joined forces to bring together officials from the Ministry of Health, the Prosecutor General’s office, patrol police, members of the Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association, and NGO activists from all over Georgia to discuss domestic violence at a roundtable on December 10. For many, this was the first opportunity to share views across the public sector / private sector divide. Participants welcomed the free flow of information on the difficult issues of heightening public awareness of domestic violence, training and imbedding social workers in police units, improving referral mechanisms and opening shelters. The Embassy hopes this meeting will serve as a catalyst for future such initiatives between government officials and private-sector activists working to stop domestic violence. The roundtable was held as part of a series of programming on the theme of “taking action on violence against women.” Other events will include an essay competition for school children in the regions of Georgia designed to raise awareness of this taboo subject, and dedicating one session of a popular talk show to a discussion of the issue featuring a psychologist, NGO activists, and a victim of domestic violence.
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