Author

  • Salome Kandelaki

    Salome Kandelaki is currently a Project Coordinator and Junior Policy Analyst at the Georgian Institute of Politics. Salome is a Ph.D. student in Political Science at Tbilisi State University. She is an invited lecturer at the European University, Georgia.  In 2017, she obtained her MA degree in Political Science from the Central European University Budapest. At the same time, she was specialized in Comparative Politics. Moreover, she has the second Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the joint program of German University of Administrative Sciences and Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. Her previous work experience includes Fundraising Management at the Social Justice Center (former EMC).  She was also a leading acting specialist at the Tbilisi City Assembly as well as project management in different youth non-governmental organizations. Her field of experience is comparative case-study analyses with a particular focus on religion and democracy, regionalism and democratization. Among her research interests are Europeanization, frozen conflicts as well as secularism in Europe.

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05/05/2023 Salome Kandelaki

Women’s Political Participation: Intra-Party Mechanisms and Challenges

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Publish Date:
05-05-2023

In order to ensure women’s political participation, an appropriate internal party structural arrangement and legal and institutional guarantees of gender equality are both important. Currently, the intra-party mechanisms of the Georgian parliamentary parties of 2020 ensure only the identification of women’s needs and their involvement rather than their political empowerment. And as for legislative amendments, the issue of gender quotas, although theoretically increasing the number of women in politics, in terms of the quality of women’s participation in representative bodies major challenges remain.  This is due to the gender stereotypes entrenched in the minds of the general public and the non-serious perception of the issue of gender equality by male politicians. In terms of women’s political empowerment, institutional mechanisms such as the Gender Equality Council in Parliament are more inclusive and effective than the gender councils in local government, indicating lack of knowledge and interest in gender equality issues in the regions.

This political essay analyses to what extent and in what form women’s intra-party participation is encouraged in the parliamentary parties of the 2020 convocation, what mechanisms they apply and what challenges exist in this regard in the Georgian political spectrum. The paper is based on an analysis of official documents and interviews with politicians. It concludes with specific recommendations for promoting gender equality in the parties and the political empowerment of women in general.

Keywords: political empowerment of women, internal party structure, gender quotas.

Policy Brief #49 | May 2023

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Salome Kandelaki

Salome Kandelaki is currently a Project Coordinator and Junior Policy Analyst at the Georgian Institute of Politics. Salome is a Ph.D. student in Political Science at Tbilisi State University. She is an invited lecturer at the European University, Georgia.  In 2017, she obtained her MA degree in Political Science from the Central European University Budapest. At the same time, she was specialized in Comparative Politics. Moreover, she has the second Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the joint program of German University of Administrative Sciences and Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. Her previous work experience includes Fundraising Management at the Social Justice Center (former EMC).  She was also a leading acting specialist at the Tbilisi City Assembly as well as project management in different youth non-governmental organizations. Her field of experience is comparative case-study analyses with a particular focus on religion and democracy, regionalism and democratization. Among her research interests are Europeanization, frozen conflicts as well as secularism in Europe.