Achievements of the “Fathers’ School” initiative in Georgia

On October 5, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office and the NGO “Care Together” hosted an event aimed at introducing the achievements of the “Fathers’ School” programme in Georgia to a wide audience, analysing the experience gained and informing the public about the steps planned for the future.

UNFPA Representative in Turkey, Country Director for Azerbaijan and Georgia Hassan Mohtashami, Team Leader for Economic Development and Market Opportunities at the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia Dominik Papenheim, Doctor of Medical Sciences and General Director of Gagua Clinic Davit Gagua, representative of the organization “Care Together” and co-founder of the “MenCare” campaign Mirian Jugeli and writer and anchor Alexandre Lortkipanidze. Participants and facilitators of the “Fathers’ School” also shared their experiences with the audience.

Fathers’ School programme was first launched in 2021 in Tbilisi and Kutaisi aimed to promote acquisition and utilization of the skills and behaviours among men, which will help them to become more engaged and caring fathers and partners. The Fathers’ School programme will also help men learn more about gender equality, as well as about stereotypes and harmful social norms that prevent us from achieving genuine equality.

More than 50 men have participated in the “Fathers’ School” programme in Tbilisi and Kutaisi since 2021. Men who are planning to become fathers in the near future, expectant fathers, or fathers of children under the age of three form the target audience of the programme. The training course is offered free of charge. At the first stage of the programme, the partners of “Fathers’ School” programme are “Gagua Clinic” in Tbilisi and women’s health centre “Hera” in Kutaisi.

Fathers’ School was established within the framework of the “EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence” programme, jointly implemented by UNFPA and UN Women, with the support of the European Union. The Programme seeks to tackle gender stereotypes and discriminatory norms, ensure equal rights and opportunities for women and men, as well as active involvement of men in the process of promoting gender equality.