Gender equality remains one of the most important and pressing social issues in Georgia. It affects not only the social, political, and economic lives of women and men, but also determines the direction of the country’s democratic development, social justice, and economic growth.

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While Georgia has made progress in recent years in improving gender equality policies, legislation, and institutional mechanisms, these formal achievements often do not keep pace with the pace of progress in societal norms and expectations. Traditional views are still firmly entrenched in society—and in some areas, such as family roles and political participation, there is a tendency for patriarchal norms to be reinforced. That is why it is particularly important to analyze how gender is perceived in everyday life across the country.

In this article, we will review two important studies for 2024:

The “Gender Equality Attitudes Survey in Georgia” (GEAS), conducted by UN Women, surveyed 1,238 respondents (aged 16+) across Georgia using face-to-face interviews. The survey focused on gender stereotypes and societal norms in various areas of life.
The IMAGES survey “Men, Women and Gender Relations in Georgia”, conducted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), surveyed 2,408 respondents (18+ years old) through face-to-face interviews. It is part of a longitudinal study that compares data from 2013, 2019 and 2024 and analyzes perceptions of gender equality, family roles, leadership and violence to identify changes in attitudes over time.

Together, these two studies create a fairly comprehensive picture of gender dynamics in Georgia. In this article, we will review the main trends, contradictions, and policy challenges in this regard, as well as discuss possible recommendations for future progress.

The views of the Georgian population on gender equality combine both progress and challenges. According to the GEAS survey, 47% believe that gender equality has been achieved in the country, with men (48%) and women (47%) sharing almost identical views. 41% disagree with this view.

It is noteworthy that according to the IMAGES survey, the perception of gender inequality has decreased — while in 2019 58.7% of respondents thought that gender inequality was a significant challenge in Georgia, in 2024 this figure decreased to 38.7%. However, more people share the opinion that expanding women’s rights is a loss for men:

18.7% believe that women’s gaining rights means men’s losing them (in 2019 — 10.3%).
20.7% think that women’s employment takes jobs away from men, which is almost three times higher than the 7.6% figure in 2019.

While support for gender equality is growing, economic fears are fueling resistance to it, reflecting public concerns about changes in the labor market.

The IMAGES survey also shows that homophobic attitudes are still strongly entrenched in the country, although there has been notable progress compared to previous years. For example, according to 2024 data:

55.1% of women and 64.5% of men say they would never have a homosexual friend (in 2018, 54.1% of women and 80.7% of men said this);
58.7% of women and 66.6% of men say that homosexuals should not be allowed to work with children (in 2019, 63.9% of women and 82.8% of men said this);
57.5% of women and 66.1% of men say they would be embarrassed to have a homosexual child (in 2019, 73.5% of women and 82.6% of men said this);

As for people with disabilities, the general attitude towards them is more accepting, although there is a slight deterioration compared to 2019:

26.9% of women (2019 — 25.9%) and 32.4% of men (2019 — 27.4%) say they would not be able to have a spouse or partner with a disability;
19.2% of women (2019 — 12.8%) and 25.1% of men (2019 — 15.1%) indicate that having a child with a disability would be inconvenient for them.

Education

Education is perceived as equally important for boys and girls, but societal norms still influence opportunities and career paths. According to the GEAS survey, 88% disagree that higher education for boys is more important than for girls, but many believe that their community still prioritizes boys’ education, especially in rural areas and ethnic minority groups. This suggests that formal equality exists, but social biases still persist.

► Although the majority supports higher education for women, 71% believe that women should focus more on family than career, which limits their professional choices.

Real progress requires ensuring gender balance in all educational fields and changing societal perceptions of women’s roles. While the younger generation is more open to equality, societal biases still limit women’s opportunities in Georgia.

Work and Employment

Although the majority of Georgian citizens support women’s employment, traditional beliefs still limit their opportunities. According to the GEAS survey, 83% believe that having a job is important for women’s independence, although 48% believe that men should be given priority for employment during the economic crisis. In addition, 75% believe that some professions are unsuitable for women, which reinforces gender segregation in professions.

Women’s career advancement is also limited by societal expectations. 71% believe that women should work less and focus on family, and 69% believe that mothers’ work is harmful to children, while only 16% of fathers said the same.

► It is worth noting that regional differences are also noticeable here — the population living in the regions and ethnic minorities are more likely to support male-dominated employment, while in cities, especially in Tbilisi, they are more likely to support equality in the working environment.

Leadership and Participation

Support for women’s political participation is growing, but skepticism remains. According to IMAGES, 54.1% of men support gender quotas (up from 44.4% in 2019), although many in focus groups still believe that success should be achieved through merit, not through gender mechanisms. In addition, 71.6% of women and 51.8% of men believe that increasing women’s political participation would be beneficial for the country. These figures are almost unchanged from 2019.

Family obligations remain the main barrier to women’s participation in politics: according to GEAS, 49% cite them as the first obstacle, while 27% cite traditional gender roles. Only 9% believe that there are no barriers. Older people and those living in the regions are more likely to perceive family obligations as a limiting factor for women’s political participation. Many men in focus groups say that women are less suited to politics due to their emotional decision-making and caregiving responsibilities.

According to GEAS, 43% of the population believes that women politicians are not treated equally by men, while 46% believe that women politicians treat men fairly — an example of a double standard. According to IMAGES, many men attribute the underrepresentation of women in politics to a lack of leadership qualities.

These stereotypes are also reinforced by the media: according to GEAS, 69% say that men are portrayed in the media as leaders and breadwinners, while 64% believe that women are portrayed as mothers and caregivers.

According to IMAGES, political activity is low for both genders, although it manifests itself in different ways:

Men (33.3%) attend protests more often than women (27.6%), which strengthens their position in formal politics;
Women (17.1%) are more likely to express their opinions on social, religious, and political topics than men (13.8%).

While support for gender equality is growing, entrenched stereotypes and family expectations still limit women’s leadership opportunities.

Marriage and Family Life

Both studies reveal that family life in Georgia is still shaped by traditional gender roles — particularly in decision-making, childcare, household chores, and financial responsibility. While there are signs of progress among young people and urban populations, societal expectations continue to place the main burden of caregiving and household work on women.

According to GEAS, 60% of men believe that they should have the final say in the family, while only 45% of women agree with this opinion. At the same time, according to IMAGES, support for male authority in the family continues to grow – in 2024, 57.2% of the population agreed with this provision, while in 2019 this figure was 49.6%. At the same time, the share of men in favor of the provision is almost unchanged, while in the case of women it has increased by 13 percentage points.

Older people and those living in the regions are more likely to support male dominance in decision-making, while younger people and city dwellers prefer equal decision-making.

► It is noteworthy that 61.7% of men believe that they should have the right to choose their friends, even if their wives object, while only 44.6% of men support the same right for women.

When it comes to financial decisions, according to IMAGES data, men still dominate, although some couples manage finances equally:

66.6% of men and 65.6% of women say they made major financial decisions (such as buying a car or house) with their partner;
At the same time, every fifth woman notes that her husband makes such decisions alone, while in the case of daily expenses, only 11.9% of women confirm this;
A third of women say their partner is the sole breadwinner in the family, while only 6.6% of men say the same about their wives.

According to GEAS data, the majority of Georgians (75%) believe that they decide for themselves who to marry, although women are believed to have less autonomy in this regard (68%, compared to 83% of men).

Childcare and Household Chores

Despite some progress, childcare remains a women’s responsibility (GEAS):

56% of the population believes that when a child is sick, the mother should take leave and take care of him/her;
52% of the population thinks that child care is entirely the mother’s responsibility;
73.4% of men believe that feeding, bathing, and changing a child’s diaper is the mother’s job, which is an increase compared to 2019 (from 68.5%).

Household chores are still largely concentrated on women (see Figure 4): 90% of women do the washing and cleaning themselves, and 80% prepare meals. Only 40% of couples report that they share childcare responsibilities equally, and home repairs are still considered the man’s job (60%). On the other hand, a third of both women and men say that the man pays the bills.

Despite this disparity, 85.3% of men and 77.1% of women say they are satisfied with the distribution of work. However, 13.1% of women express dissatisfaction, while this figure is only 5.8% among men.

It should also be noted that in terms of fathers’ involvement in childcare, a positive trend (IMAGES) has been recorded compared to 2019 in terms of bathing the child (18%) and putting the child to sleep (17.9%). However, despite the improvement compared to previous years, these data still demonstrate that childcare is essentially the woman’s/mother’s duty, with men only performing a supporting role.

It is noteworthy that when discussing the childhood of respondents in the IMAGES study, it was revealed that fathers and other male family members were minimally involved in family affairs:

70% of respondents (both women and men) reported that their fathers rarely cooked, cleaned the house, or washed clothes;
40% say their fathers rarely cared for them or their siblings, while only 14% reported that their father was involved in daily child care.

Men’s participation was higher in financial or logistical matters: a third of respondents recalled that fathers bought necessary items for the family or periodically helped with household chores.

These findings reflect traditional gender roles, where women were primarily responsible for household chores, while men were primarily responsible for financial provision.

► The study also found that among respondents, men were more likely than women to be the targets of physical violence during childhood: one-fifth of men said they were beaten or slapped by their parents at home during their adolescence. Only 13.7% of women had such experiences.

Gender Expectations in Children

Interestingly, according to GEAS, the adaptation of traditional gender roles is observed from an early age. Although hard work and responsibility are the two most important qualities for both boys and girls, the third dominant quality for girls is good manners (47%), which ranks last for boys (39%), while the third dominant quality for boys is independence (56%), which ranks last for girls (40%).

► 46% of women believe that independence is important for girls, while only 33% of men agree.

Security and Violence

Both studies show that gender-based violence is widespread in Georgia, and victim-blaming tendencies are deeply entrenched. While physical violence is generally condemned, many people still consider domestic violence a private matter, and myths about rape — especially among men — remain widespread.

The feeling of safety in home and public spaces varies significantly by gender (GEAS):

67% think men are safe at home. Only 48% share the same opinion about women.
62% think that men feel safe in public spaces, while only 49% say the same about women.

These data indicate that women are at risk of violence both at home and in public spaces. Both studies also confirm that domestic violence remains a serious problem:

10% of women have experienced economic violence — 13.2% were forbidden from working by their partner, and 10.7% had their money taken away (IMAGES).
Women are relatively more likely to report psychological abuse by their partners than men are to admit to such acts. Almost 12% of women say that their partners have insulted or humiliated them. It is noteworthy that a maximum of 3% of men admit to having ever committed such acts against their partners.
4.5% of women say they have experienced sexual violence from their partner, while only 1.9% of men admit to having forced their partner to have sex.

According to GEAS, 91% of the population thinks that beating a partner is unacceptable, although IMAGES shows that 19.8% of men believe that there are situations when a woman “deserves” to be beaten. In addition:

22.2% of men believe that a woman should tolerate violence to maintain a family. This figure has increased compared to 2019 (17.8%);
46.3% of men and 37.4% of women believe that domestic violence is a private matter and that outsiders should not interfere in it.

These attitudes foster the normalization of violence and hinder both intervention in violence and victims’ seeking help.

► There is a significant gap between personal views and perceived societal norms (GEAS). For example, only 6% think that partner beating is acceptable, but 22% believe that their community agrees with this. In addition, only 23% say that domestic violence is a personal issue, but 41% think that this is a common view among residents of their community.

Victim Blaming and Rape Culture

Victim blaming is still widespread, especially among men. According to IMAGES:

20.2% of men believe that some women “want to be raped”;
21.2% of men attribute rape cases to the woman’s negligence. In this regard, the increase compared to 2019, when this figure was 14.4%, is particularly worrying;
Also, every fifth man believes that the woman herself is guilty of rape, and every third man questions the reputation of the raped woman.

Although fewer men now (2024 – 35.1%; 2019 – 50.4%) believe that rape only occurs when a woman physically resists, myths related to rape still hold strong and contribute to impunity for perpetrators.

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Quality of Life

The GEAS and IMAGES studies confirm substantial differences in access to health care, gender inequalities in reproductive rights, and the persistence of traditional attitudes towards contraception, pregnancy, and father involvement. Despite widespread access to health services, awareness of family planning and the frequency of preventive check-ups remain low, especially among men.

The quality of healthcare in Georgia is rated as poor by 17% for the majority of both women and men, although men are more likely to think that the quality of healthcare is poor (GEAS). In addition:

77% have a regular doctor, although only 26% undergo preventive checkups when they are not sick;
Men are less likely than women to seek preventive services — only 22% (compared to 29% of women).

The majority of Georgians (73%) agree that it is important for women to have access to family planning services. Men are less likely to agree with this view (66%) than women (73%), and 26 percent of men are unaware of the importance of women’s access to family planning services (compared to 15 percent of women).

Attitudes Towards Contraception and Reproductive Rights

Traditional gender roles continue to have a significant impact on attitudes towards contraception. According to IMAGES data:

42.8% of men and 30.9% of women believe that women who carry condoms are “easily available”;
Four out of ten men believe that it is a woman’s responsibility to avoid pregnancy, which a third of women agree with. However, according to GEAS, the majority of the population (75%) believe that avoiding unwanted pregnancy is the responsibility of both partners.
In addition, a third of men and a fifth of women think it is unacceptable for a woman to demand that her husband use a condom.

According to GEAS data, only 2% of men and women say that men are responsible for preventing pregnancy, while 11% believe that this responsibility should be borne solely by women.

These findings highlight the existing stigma surrounding women’s sexual autonomy and men’s resistance to sharing responsibility.

Fathers’ Involvement in Pregnancy and Childbirth

According to IMAGES data, male involvement in the pregnancy and childbirth process is very low:

Only 8.2% of men (2019 — 7.4%) and 7.5% of women (2019 — 6.5%) report that the father was present at the birth of the child;
Only 1.3% of men confirm that they took time off from work or were fired when they had a child,
Half of women and men believe that it is unacceptable for a man to attend the birth of their child, while a third believe it is acceptable. It is noteworthy that compared to 2019, the share of women who believe that it is acceptable for a man to attend childbirth has decreased from 48.1% to 36.8% in 2024.

Despite having less involvement in childbirth, men are highly involved in abortion decisions.

83.3% of men and 82.8% of women report that both partners participated in making decisions regarding abortion;
14.2% of women say they made this decision independently, compared to 9% of men.

► In 2019, 58.6% of women and 64.5% of men indicated a joint decision regarding abortion, which is significantly lower than the results in 2024.

Control Over One’s Life

The GEAS survey reveals substantial gender inequalities in personal autonomy and sexual freedom. While the majority of Georgians believe they have a high level of control over their lives, women feel less free than men, especially in the context of sexual choices and societal expectations.

For example, the majority of the population (68%) feels that they have a good deal of control over their lives. However, this figure is significantly lower for women (62%) than for men (75%). In addition:

51% of the public believes that most women have control over their lives, while 65% of men think the same;
Women are less likely (47%) to believe that most women have autonomy, while 55% of men agree.

This gender difference indicates that while men perceive themselves and others as autonomous, women largely feel constrained by societal expectations.

Sexual Autonomy — a Double Standard

There is a noticeable gender difference in views related to sexual freedom:

51% of the public believes that premarital sex is justified for men, but only 31% think so for women.
52% of men believe that sex before marriage is acceptable for men, while only 27% agree with the same possibility for women.
49% of women think that sex before marriage is acceptable for men, while 34% support the same practice for women.

While both men and women have negative attitudes toward multiple sexual partners, a clear asymmetry remains: 36% of the population condones this for men, while only 24% say the same for women. This shows that society gives men more freedom over their bodies, while women still have strict restrictions and expectations.

People believe that their community is even more conservative than their personal views:

Only 18% think their community condones premarital sex for women, while 47% think the same community condones it for men.
One in three Georgians (34%) think that their community condones a man having multiple sexual partners, but only 15% think the same applies to women.

This difference suggests that people may personally support more progressive views, but still perceive their communities as traditionally minded—a social pressure that reinforces restrictive norms, especially for women.

Control Over Personal Finances and Access to Physical Property

Gender inequalities are observed in financial control, property ownership, and inheritance rights. Although the majority of the Georgian population supports equal financial decisions, men still have higher perceived control over finances and property transactions.

70% of the population believes that they have “a lot” of control over their finances, although this feeling differs by gender (GEAS): 74% of men and 66% of women think so. Men are also perceived by the population as having more financial power (67%) than women (58%), reinforcing traditional perceptions of male financial dominance.

Despite these inequalities, 70% of the population believes that important financial decisions, such as taking out a loan or encumbering property, are made equally by women and men. However, 18% believe that only men make these types of decisions.

Inheritance and Gender Bias

Although 79% of the population supports equal distribution of inheritance among children, traditional biases remain strong (GEAS):

46% think it is more acceptable for their community if sons receive property — even if they personally favor equal inheritance.
19% still believe that inheritance should only go to a boy.

According to IMAGES, in terms of specific assets, 61.6% support equal division of the parents’ home, 65% — land, 72% — valuables, and 69.4% — money and cars.

However, every third man believes that property belongs more to boys, while every fourth or fifth woman shares this view.

Compared to 2019, support for equal inheritance increased among women, while support for equal distribution of land, valuables, and businesses decreased among men. This gender divide indicates a growing awareness of property rights among women, while traditional views remain strong among men.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The UN Women GEAS survey and the UNDP IMAGES survey jointly show that progress has been made in formal equality, but challenges remain in terms of social norms. Despite increased awareness in society, traditional views on leadership, family roles and financial independence remain strong, and in some indicators there is even a return to patriarchal norms.

The main areas that require urgent action are:

Overcoming gender stereotypes in the labor market and leadership — by ensuring equal employment, pay, and political participation;
Strengthening the law against gender-based violence — through its effective enforcement and raising public awareness;
Ensuring women’s financial independence — by upholding inheritance laws and improving economic opportunities;
Expanding reproductive rights and access to healthcare — by combating misinformation and cultural stigma;
Supporting intergenerational change — by strengthening youth-focused education and gender equality initiatives.

While younger generations are increasingly supportive of gender equality, deep-rooted stereotypes continue to hinder progress. If immediate action is not taken, these obstacles could further exacerbate gender inequality and reverse the progress made in recent years. Promoting lasting change requires sustained advocacy, effective law enforcement, and widespread public awareness.

Perception of Gender Equality and Social Norms