The aim of this shadow report is to draw the attention of the Committee to the violations of human rights of LBTI women in Georgia for developing list of issues prior to reporting by the pre-sessional working group. The report is based on materials produces, collected and documented by WISG: cases of human rights violations of LBTI persons in Georgia, interviews and focus groups conducted with community members and health care specialists; WISG’s discrimination studies (2018-20), researches on attitudes (2018), resources of NGOs working on LGBTQI rights, reports of the Public Defender’s and other reports by international stakeholders.

Executive Summary

Despite relatively enhanced anti-discrimination standards in law since the last review, Georgia still faces the gaps to be filled in order to guarantee equality and non-discrimination of women based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE). Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex (LBTI) women are subjects of a double discrimination, based on their sex, as well as their SOGIE, which are due to the stigma and prevailing stereotypes rooted against them in the society. Such a background is nurtured by the state’s neglect of the specific needs of the group, also illustrated at the sixth periodic report submitted by Georgia before the Committee in 2020 that neglects the number of crucial challenges in regards to SOGIE. Hence, Georgian government fails to recognize homo/bi/transphobia as a social problem, manifested in gender based violence and discrimination on the grounds of SOGIE, in need of emergency intervention.

Under the international obligations and the standards Georgia is required to provide effective protection against discrimination of LBTI persons; proper investigation and prevention of hate crimes that shall cover SOGIE among the protected grounds; act on ongoing practices sustaining discrimination in gender recognition and self-determination; eliminate abusive requirements as prerequisites for gender marker change; guarantee protection against discrimination of LB and especially Trans and Intersex persons in healthcare; implement proper education curricula to combat discrimination and guarantee policies to protect LBTI persons from violence and ill-treatment, inter alia at educational institutions and labor marker.

This report offers scrutinized analyses of those shortcomings together with the clear recommendation to address the Georgian government.  

Shadow CEDAW report - On violence and discrimination against LBTI women (4 June, 2021)