Gender, agriculture and rural development in Georgia - was the main topic of discussion at the meeting where FAO brought together all the stakeholders andimplementing partners of the EU-supported European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD).

The participants talked about the existing gender inequalities in agriculture, their causes, and their impact on the economic and social development of rural areas. The attendees debated on the challenges, gaps and practices that are being improved or need to be considered by policy-makers to support the economic empowerment of rural women in Georgia.

Special attention was paid to the FAO’s presentation which introduced the facts and finding on the new publication prepared by the FAO experts on Gender Assessment in Georgia. The study funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation and ENPARD, identified gender gap in earnings and the gender-based segregation in employment. According to the data presented, women are paid less in almost all the sectors of agriculture. On average, Georgian women earn 75 percent of men´s salary. Moreover, there is gender-based segregation in employment, with men being more highly represented in higher managerial positions and in technical subjects as agriculture, engineering and construction, where very few women are represented. Based on the review of the main challenges, the report suggested a set of recommendations for FAO and the policy makers, programme and project implementers, as well as wider groups of practitioners and service providers in agriculture and rural development.  

ENPARD Partners – CENN, RDFG and CARE, also USAID, made the presentations regarding the gender topic, sharing their experiences in implementing the projects for improving women’s economic and social conditions in Georgia.

The meeting was opened and chaired by Ms. Khatia Tsilosani, Head of International Department of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia. She highlighted the ongoing activities being implemented by Georgian government under ENPARD. Mrs. Cristina Casella, Attaché and the Programme Manager of the EU Delegation to Georgia talked about the overall objectives and expected results of the EU-supported agricultural and rural development projects undertaken by the international and non-governmental organizations to enhance agricultural and rural development in Georgia.

The meeting was attended by the representatives of the ENPARD implementing partner organizations - UNDP, Mercy Corps, Care, PIN, RDFG, HEKS-EPER, GIPA, CENN, Caritas Czech Republic and others.

The European Union is supporting rural development in Georgia through its ENPARD Programme. Aiming to reduce rural poverty, ENPARD has been implemented since 2013, with a total budget of Euro 179.5 million. The first phase of ENPARD focused on developing national agriculture potential, while the second and third phases focus on creating economic opportunities for the rural population that go beyond agricultural activities. More information on ENPARD is available at: www.enpard.ge