During a plenary session, the Georgian Parliament approved the first reading of amendments to the Law on Gender Equality, with 83 votes in favor. The key changes include replacing the term “gender equality” with “equality between women and men” and removing the definition of “gender” from the legislation.

David Matikashvili, Chair of the Rules and Procedural Issues Committee, explained that the inclusion of the term “gender” in Georgian law was initially influenced by international practices, but the amendments aim to align the terminology with traditional legal concepts.

The amendments also remove the requirement to establish gender equality councils within Parliament, autonomous republics, and municipal councils.

“The existence of a council, which by its name could create a misleading perception of its purpose, is no longer necessary. However, this does not mean that Parliament or local self-government bodies should not remain fully committed to upholding the principle of equality between women and men,” David Matikashvili emphasized.