Georgia

Georgia and Armenia are two of the few countries where commercial surrogacy is legal, allowing a woman to be paid to carry someone else’s genetic child through IVF and embryo-transfer. © Gvantsa Seturidze

Surrogacy on the Rise in the South Caucasus

As the practice thrives, experts warn that oversight is crucial to ensure protection and prevent exploitation.

8 Mar 23

A journalist holds a sign labelling a draft law currently under discussion in Georgia as "a Russian law" during a protest staged in front of the Parliament on 2 March, 2023. The government is facing domestic and international calls to backtrack on plans to adopt a "foreign influence agents" bill as critics say it mimics a similar law in Russia. © Gvantsa Seturidze/IWPR

Draft Law on Foreign Agents Sparks Outcry in Georgia and Abroad

Ruling party says that bill ensures transparency; critics argue it mimics Russian laws and will crush EU integration.

3 Mar 23

Supporters of former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili gather outside court in Tbilisi, Georgia. Photo from 2021. © Daro Sulakauri/Getty Images

Georgia: Fate of Ailing Saakashvili Remains Unclear

Tbilisi has refused to acknowledge medical needs as genuine or to release jailed former leader for treatment.

17 Jan 23

Hundreds of mourners gather for the funeral of a Georgian volunteer fighter who was killed in Ukraine, on March 26, 2022 in Tbilisi. Davit Ratiani, 53 years old, died under artillery fire on March 18th at the Irpin front, northwest of Kyiv. © Daro Sulakauri/Getty Images

The Georgians Killed Fighting in Ukraine

The conflict has deep resonance in Georgia - but Tbilisi’s attitude remains ambiguous.

9 Jan 23

Women demonstrate against the rising rate of gender-based violence in Georgia. According to law enforcement agencies, since 2014 186 women were killed by their former partners; in 2022 alone 16 women were murdered. Human rights groups blame authorities' ineffective preventive measures and inadequate prosecution actions. © Gvantsa Seturidze/IWPR

Fears Rise Over Gender Violence in Georgia

Legal experts warn that the judicial system is not doing enough to convict perpetrators.

22 Dec 22

Gedatsi is a beer bar in Zugdidi, western Georgia. The name means "to drink'' in Mingrelian. Zugdidi is the administrative centre of the Samegrelo region, where most Mingrelian speakers are concentrated. © Lana Kokaia/IWPR

Georgia Risks Losing its Language “Treasure”

The lack of official status and the fear of separatism have drastically eroded the use of Mingrelian and Svan.

21 Oct 22

Ekaterine Marikashvili, a sergeant and a senior sapper of the EOD group. © Photo courtesy of E. Marikashvili

Georgia: Women in the Army

“When I put on my uniform for the first time, I felt so strong and proud.”

15 Oct 22

People who have crossed the Verkhni Lars customs checkpoint between Georgia and Russia walk in the road on September 28, 2022 in Zemo Larsi, Georgia. On September 21, President Putin announced what he described as a partial mobilisation of Russian army reservists to fight in Ukraine with 300,000 men to be called up and since then Russians have been fleeing to neighbouring countries. © Daro Sulakauri/Getty Images

New Wave of Russians Head to Georgia

As men flee Putin’s mobilisation order, simmering anti-Russian sentiment reignites.

30 Sep 22

Georgia Faces More Disappointment in its European Dream

It will be near-impossible to fulfil EU-mandated obligations without a paradigm shift in how the ruling party views its role and place in the country’s history.

25 Jun 22

Alu Gamakharia, 74, fled Sokhumi in 1993 and settled in Kutaisi, Georgia's second largest city. In 2009 he founded the Peace and Business Caucasus Association to help people from the region receive medical care in Tbilisi-controlled territory. © Nino Bakradze

Georgia’s Health Diplomacy

A medical support programme aims to heal wounds between Abkhazians and Georgians.

22 Jun 22

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