On June 11, 2014 the NGO Gender Equality Network held the civil forum on the issues of political participation of women in the local self-government elections at the Tbilisi Marriott. The above event was held under the project funded by the CEC Center of Electoral Systems Development, Reforms and Trainings Under the grant competition.

The participants were welcomed by Ms. Manana Kobakhidze, Vice-speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Chair of the Gender Equality Board and Mr. Giorgi Volsky, member of the Parliament of Georgia. Natia Zaalishvili, Head of the Center of Electoral Systems Development, Reforms and Trainings spoke about the importance of cooperation between the CEC, the Center of Electoral Systems Development, Reforms and Trainings and NGOs for the promotion of gender policy development.

The representatives of political parties – Nineli Putkaradze (Bloc Georgian Dream Free Democrats), Khatuna Gogorishvili (Bloc United National Movement), Manana Nachkhebia (Political Party New Rights), Bela Saria (Salome Zurabishvili – Georgian Way) made presentations about gender policy of the electoral subjects in the local self-government elections. The invited expert Tamar Bagratia informed the participants about gender parameters in local self-government elections.