- Title: GEORGIA-DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Georgians protest violence against women
- Date: 25th November 2014
- Summary: TBILISI, GEORGIA (NOVEMBER 25, 2014) (REUTERS) PEOPLE STANDING AT DEMONSTRATION PEOPLE WITH AT DEMONSTRATION WITH POSTERS POSTER READING (English) 'WE CAN STOP VIOLENCE!' VARIOUS OF PEOPLE STANDING AT DEMONSTRATION (SOUNDBITE) (Georgian) UNNAMED PROTEST ORGANISER, SAYING: "The time has come to raise our voice and to defend women. Twenty-five women were killed this year. It's an alarming figure. Every third woman in Georgia is being beaten, every third woman is a victim of violence." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE PUTTING HANDPRINTS ON WALL (SOUNDBITE) (Georgian) CENTRE FOR CIVIC INVOLVEMENT ACTIVIST, NIKO NIBLASHVILI, SAYING: "There are many cases of violence against women in our country, and the figure is quite big. We think that any violence should be condemned. Our organisation has been working on these problems for a long time. This symbolic bruise under my eye means that our organisation and all women condemn domestic violence against women." PEOPLE STANDING WITH POSTER READING (English) 'STOP VIOLENCE!' (SOUNDBITE) (Georgian) PROTEST PARTICIPANT, ANASTASIA ARABULI, SAYING: "I'm here because I think that violence against women is a serious crime which should be stopped. I'm not sure that we can stop those who commit these concrete crimes, but I think we send a clear signal that violence is unacceptable for us and a message to women that we support them and urge criminals to think about what they do." PEOPLE WITH POSTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTEST PARTICIPANT, EVA MIKHALKOVA, SAYING: "I think that the very important thing is as my poster says that we should break the silence about domestic violence, because thing is that many women, who are victims of domestic violence, don't never say it, don't never report the domestic violence." PEOPLE AT DEMONSTRATION
- Embargoed: 10th December 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Georgia
- Country: Georgia
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA24E7GCQCXBYUDJYRXL4DTTP8Z
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
Hundreds of protesters in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Tuesday (November 25) braved rain to call for an end to violence against women.
Holding colourful umbrellas and signs reading "Stop Violence" outside of the former parliament building in the city's centre, protesters described a pressing problem with domestic violence in Georgia.
"The time has come to raise our voice and to defend women. Twenty-five women were killed this year. It's an alarming figure. Every third woman in Georgia is being beaten, every third woman is a victim of violence," one of the protest organisers said from stage.
Niko Niblashvili, an activist with the Centre for Civic involvement said citizens needed to repudiate violence against women.
"There are many cases of violence against women in our country, and the figure is quite big. We think that any violence should be condemned. Our organisation has been working on these problems for a long time. This symbolic bruise under my eye means that our organisation and all women condemn domestic violence against women," Niblashvili said.
Protest participant Anastasia Arabuli said she felt it was essential to show support for domestic violence victims.
"I'm here because I think that violence against women is a serious crime which should be stopped. I'm not sure that we can stop those who commit these concrete crimes, but I think we send a clear signal that violence is unacceptable for us and a message to women that we support them and urge criminals to think about what they do," Arabuli said.
Protester Eva Mikhalkova said women needed to be encouraged to come forward to report violence.
"I think that the very important thing is as my poster says that we should break the silence about domestic violence, because thing is that many women, who are victims of domestic violence, don't never say it, don't never report the domestic violence," she said.
In a 2010 report funded by the UN populations fund and the government of Norway, researchers found that 35.9 percent of women in Georgia have experienced acts intended to control their behaviour by their husbands or partners. In addition to this, the majority of people in Georgia tend to keep silent about the domestic violence the report said.
According to the same study, 78.3 percent of women think that domestic violence should remain within the family, complicating combating the problem. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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