The Public Defender of Georgia has issued a statement in connection with International Women's Day.

The Ombudsman calls on the state to take systemic and effective steps to protect women's rights, empower them, and ensure their equal participation in political and economic life.

According to Levan Ioseliani, the full realization of women's labor rights, their equal involvement in economic life, and equal pay for work remain significant challenges.

According to the Ombudsman, in 2025, 12 cases of femicide and 21 attempted murders of women were identified. There continue to be cases where, despite the state's prior information about possible violence, the murder or attempted murder of a woman could not be prevented.

“The celebration of International Women's Day on March 8 is linked to issues of protecting women's labor rights, promoting women's participation in decision-making processes, and combating violence, and it remains relevant today. Over the past decade, Georgia has strengthened the legal framework for the prevention and response to violence against women and domestic violence, introduced various protection and support mechanisms, enhanced victim protection services, and improved coordination among relevant agencies. These reforms have had a significant impact on the detection of violence cases, prevention, and effective response. At the same time, consistent and effective state policy implementation remains necessary to further strengthen the system for combating violence against women and domestic violence. According to information from the General Prosecutor's Office of Georgia, in 2025, 12 cases of femicide and 21 attempted murders of women were identified. There continue to be cases where, despite the state's prior information about possible violence, the prevention of a woman's murder or attempted murder was not possible. Despite measures taken toward women's economic empowerment, the full realization of women's labor rights, their equal involvement in economic life, and equal pay for work remain significant challenges. The Public Defender calls on the state to take systemic and effective steps to protect women's rights, empower them, and ensure their equal participation in political and economic life, and expresses readiness to cooperate with state agencies in the processes of achieving equality,” — the Ombudsman's statement reads.