EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell has issued a statement on the occasion of March 8, International Women’s Day. The statement also launches an EU social media campaign - “Strong Women-Strong Georgia” which will run through March.

“Today we mark International Women’s Day. A moment to celebrate all the women of Georgia.

During my 2.5 years in this country, I continue to be impressed by the incredible work I see women professionals doing here, whether as entrepreneurs, journalists, CEOs, community leaders or politicians in the big cities and also in the regions.

Women that are creating new jobs, assisting vulnerable groups or working to improve their communities. Not to speak about the much less visible work many women are doing to maintain the household, and caring for their children and elderly.

The contribution is significant, and yet on average women still only earn 2/3 of men’s salaries, and less than half of women are employed outside the home.

And let’s not forget that many women are vulnerable to discrimination or worse, gender based violence, which is totally unacceptable.

Overall, Georgia is moving towards greater gender equality, but there is still a long way to go. And my message is simple – a country can only achieve its full strength when everybody is given the same opportunity to reach their potential. It’s time to work to remove the barriers that are holding back girls and women from fully contributing to making Georgia as strong as it can be.

This is the message that we will bring out in a campaign during the month of March on our social media channels under the motto “Strong Women – Strong Georgia”. We hope you want to join the discussion.

The objective is clear and so is the potential. We just need to keep pushing - together. Happy Women’s Day!”, - reads the statement of EU Ambassador.