Gender Equality and Women's Rights: Progress Challenged by Political Backsliding
Georgia's path to gender equality is a difficult one, where constitutional safeguards and government efforts coexist with considerable legal inequities. Gender equality is enshrined as a fundamental concept in the Georgian Constitution of 2014, and the government produced a Gender Equality Strategy for 2022-2025 to enforce regulations and combat gender-based violence. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also developed a strategy emphasizing equal rights and specialized support for vulnerable groups.
However, recent developments in 2025 have brought significant reversals to this positive trend. The government has adopted anti-gender language and legislation that contradicts past advances. Revisions to the Law on Gender Equality have been characterized by civil society and international authorities as purposeful steps backward. Official remarks are increasingly encouraging sexism and discriminatory attitudes, contradicting Georgia's international conventions. Critics argue these trends indicate broader democratic backsliding within the nation's governing structures.
Women's labor force participation is severely low, at 15 to 20 percent—among the lowest percentages globally. This indicates huge untapped economic potential, but women remain concentrated in low-wage sectors with no social safeguards. Discriminatory inheritance and property rules increase economic reliance on male family members, while a lack of childcare infrastructure and secure transportation further limit engagement. While the UN Joint Programme for Gender Equality works to address these systemic barriers, success depends on a political commitment to advance rather than undermine human rights frameworks.
