Micheil Tokmazishvili, 01 April, Hotel Marriott Tbilisi GRP Initiatives in Georgia Gender and Politics in the South Caucasus

Micheil Tokmazishvili, 01 April, Hotel Marriott Tbilisi Questions for Discussion  Why Transformation?  What has changed?  Why GRB?  What was the starting point?  What lessons we learned?

Micheil Tokmazishvili, 01 April, Hotel Marriott Tbilisi Transformation Problem: Poverty and Gender Equity  Once more about Results of implementation of “Washington Consensus” in Georgia Market economy –orientation on Efficiency Social economy – orientation on Equity  Economic Growth  Growth of inequity of incomes  Poverty Reduction and Economic Growth Program  MDG (2004)

Micheil Tokmazishvili, 01 April, Hotel Marriott Tbilisi TRANSFORMATION: Why GRB?  In GDP growth was about 4%  inflation rate - 4-5%  Average salary amounted to dollars.  D  Decreased national pension from 10 dollars to 7 dollars.  Budget revenues – 14% of GDP  Unemployment rate - 14 %  Self-employment rate - 75%  Domestic dept (on pensions and salaries) grow up to 60 million Dollar  Shadow–economy – 60% of GDP

Micheil Tokmazishvili, 01 April, Hotel Marriott Tbilisi New Priorities  Improvement in Governance  Macroeconomic stability  Improvement in the structural and institutional environment  Development of Human capital  Social risk management  Development of Economic priority sectors  Improvement of natural environment conditions

Micheil Tokmazishvili, 01 April, Hotel Marriott Tbilisi Governance Reforms  Establishing “good” governance system  Minimize of direct government intervention in the economy  Development of clear definitions of governmental roles and functions,  To be close to people as possible. Public participation in governance

Micheil Tokmazishvili, 01 April, Hotel Marriott Tbilisi Budget Priorities in Energy sector development 2.Defense 3.Privatization 4.Social sphere reforms – Allowances for families who are extremely in poverty

Micheil Tokmazishvili, 01 April, Hotel Marriott Tbilisi Budget Priorities in Unemployment 2.Poverty Reduction and social conditions improvement 3.Education and health care

Micheil Tokmazishvili, 01 April, Hotel Marriott Tbilisi How we started: 1.institutionalization of GRB: Work with Ministries and Parliamentary members 2.Researches and Reports:  Brochure _ “GRP_ way to Social Justice”  Reports: Analyze of annual State Budget plans and implementation  Analyze of Municipality Budget (case study) 3.Seminars, meetings with Civil society

Micheil Tokmazishvili, 01 April, Hotel Marriott Tbilisi Budget expenditures in : Defense and social sphere (example)

Micheil Tokmazishvili, 01 April, Hotel Marriott Tbilisi Lessons Learned (1)  Political Will of institutionalization of GRB,  Need on GRB Recommendations from the parliamentarians  Methodology insufficiency and lack of Statistics  Lack of experience and knowledge of Civil Society to monitor GRB  Easy to work with Municipality officials, but lack of Financial sources  New priorities of Budget in 2008

Micheil Tokmazishvili, 01 April, Hotel Marriott Tbilisi New task: What we are going to study? 1.Gender Equity index in State organizations Wages Occupations, jobs, positions 2.State budget funds for “easy credits” 3.State interventions in labor market 4. Social assistance schemes

Micheil Tokmazishvili, 01 April, Hotel Marriott Tbilisi Structure of Hired Employment in Georgia in 2006  Total100 Including: Hired employees34,4 Including:  In state sector 22.3  In non-state sector 12.1 Employer (Enterpriser, manufacturer having hired employees) 1,1 Enterpriser, manufacturer having no hired employees, person busy with his professional activity 11.3 Self-employed in agriculture24.4 Employ in a family business/husbandry free of charge28.5 Free of charge worker for his/her relatives0.2

Micheil Tokmazishvili, 01 April, Hotel Marriott Tbilisi Women per 100 Men in Georgia

Micheil Tokmazishvili, 01 April, Hotel Marriott Tbilisi What we need:  Dialogue with Officials  Lobbyism in Executive poverty  Introduction of gender monitoring structure in MF or MSA  Perfection of methodology and statistics  International experience  Study tours for HGO

Micheil Tokmazishvili, 01 April, Hotel Marriott Tbilisi Lessons Learned (2) 1. A strategic plan of GRB offers an important incentives in policy reforms, but these incentives is not sufficient for social equity implementation. 2. Government is the main source of GRB actions, but there is no successful without giving credentials to the civil society to monitor GB.

Micheil Tokmazishvili, 01 April, Hotel Marriott Tbilisi Lessons Learned (3) 3. Civil society as the main actors of the GRB actions should have some opportunities to correct government’s actions or change regime, especially at municipality level. 4. GRB need strong support from the international society, the permanent carry on dialogue between the NGO and government through monitoring and researches.