The Women’s Initiatives Supporting Group (WISG) was
founded on June 29, 2000, by eight women with different professional
backgrounds, in order to support women’s equal participation in various spheres
of life and activities aimed at social change.
WISG believes, that
in a patriarchal society, women are unable to enjoy equal opportunities and
public goods. Women’s labor and contributions to social development go
unnoticed and misrecognized; a woman is perceived as an object, rather than a
subject, of culture and politics. Thus, since their inception, the Group’s
activities and efforts strive to improve existing conditions and achieve equal
rights.
The Women’s Initiatives Supporting Group was and
remains the first organization in Georgia focused on the empowerment of lesbian
and bisexual women and trans* persons. WISG has authored all basic research and
policy analyses on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) in Georgia.
Today, the organization is a leading expert in LGBTI issues and enjoys a high
level of credibility among both local and international state and non-state
actors.
WISG’s mission is to promote feminist ideas and
support the development of women’s activism and the establishment of safe
spaces where sexism and homo/bi/transphobia are recognized as a social problem
on cultural, social, legal, and political levels.
WISG aims to develop an organizational management model in line with its strategic plan, which will effectively ensure the promotion of feminist ideas, as well as the social integration of LBTI women through their personal development, advocacy, and activist engagement.