Management Response

: Georgia
: 2016 - 2020 , Georgia (CO)
: Final external evaluation of Joint Action for Women’s Economic Empowerment (JAWE)
:
: Georgia
:

The aim of the project “A Joint Action for Women’s Economic Empowerment in Georgia” (JAWE) implemented between 2017-2020 was to promote economic empowerment of women, particularly the poorest and the most excluded ones, so that they are able to benefit from the development in Georgia. Implemented in most disadvantaged regions of Georgia - Guria, Imereti, Racha-Lechkhumi, Adjara, Shida Kartli and Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, the project focused on the grassroots social mobilization work and support to women’s employability and entrepreneurship. Also, the project worked on the promotion of Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) with the private sector in order to increase the corporate social responsibility for achievement of gender equality and women’ economic empowerment in the country. The project addressed important for the context of Georgia barriers and challenges to women’s economic empowerment (WEE) such as low protection of labor rights, lack of accountability of the corporate sector and mechanisms to hold employers accountable for violation of human rights; and social norms and patriarchal views that prevent women from undertaking education and employment in non-traditional areas. To address these challenges, UN Women established strategic partnerships with a vast number of government and non-government (civil society) affiliated institutions and agencies. The main partners included Georgian Farmers’ Association (GFA), TASO Foundation, the Business Leaders’ Federation “Women for Tomorrow” (W4T), the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI); the Public Defender’s Office (PDO) and Ministry and of Finance Training Academy (MoFA).

: Approved
Recommendation: During the next phase of the project, put more emphasis on getting data/evidence on benefits of WEPs integration in the private companies-signees of WEPs such as positive changes stemming from more favourable internal culture (motivation, creativity, productivity of staff, ability to attract new talent etc.), as well as external benefits such as visibility and recognition, female customers’ satisfaction, etc.
Management Response: UN Women has been paying particular attention to collecting data/evidence on benefits of WEPs integration in private companies. Throughout the project we have collected several promising / best practices and produced brochures, organized experience-sharing meetings, conferences, recorded videos. UN Women intends to carry this work forward also in the next phase of JAWE if resources / fundraising allows.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
PRODUCE 10 VIDEOS WHERE CEOs OF WEPs SIGNEE COMPANIES ARE SHARING THEIR EXPERIENCE OF WEPs IMPLEMENTATION AND SPEAK ABOUT ITS BENEFITS. UN Women GEO CO 2021/02 Completed 10 videos have been prepared and uploaded on UN Women Georgia Facebook page; they have also been shared with communications team in Regional Office and WEPs secretariat in UN Women Headquarters.
IN COOPERATION WITH FORBES GEORGIA, RECORD AND AIR A TV LIVE SHOW ON BENEFITS OF WEPs FOR PRIVATE SECTOR UN Women GEO CO 2021/02 Completed The TV show was aired live on Forbes Georgia and Business Media Georgia platforms in December 2020. A shorter version was also prepared and uploaded on UN Women Georgia Facebook page.
TO CONDUCT A STUDY ON BUSINESS BENEFITS OF WEPs IN COOPERATION WITH PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS (OFFICES OF GEORGIA AND INDIA) AND DISSEMINATE ITS RESULTS UN Women GEO CO 2021/03 Completed PriceWaterhouseCoopers has been selected through an open tender to conduct a study on Business Benefits of WEPs. The data collection part has been finalized. The final report will be ready by the end of February. The presentation of the study findings is planned for the week of March 8.
Recommendation: Involve WEPs companies in influencing policy making that promotes equal participation of women in economy; for that purpose, consider formalization of the WEPs -signees’ network in order to use it as a leverage to push forward decisions at the legislative and policy level that stimulate WEE; together with WEPs companies advocate for recognition of the private sector’s contribution to achieving of gender equality and WEE for more inclusive economic growth in Georgia;
Management Response: Implementation of this recommendation started already during the lifespan of the JAWE project, when business associations (Women for Tomorrow and Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry) have been contracted to implement components of the project. The aim of the partnership was on one hand, to attract more companies to WEPs movement, and on the other hand, to ensure gender mainstreaming into the agendas of business associations. To make sure that these partnerships are sustainable, further efforts need to be taken.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
TO CONTINUE DIALOGUE WITH PARTNER BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS, ESPACIALLY REGARDING THE TOPICS OF HIGH IMPORTANCE FOR UN WOMEN (MATERNITY LEGISLATION, PAY GAP POLICIES, SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICIES AND MECHANISMS) UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed
IN CLOSE CONSULTATIONS WITH WEPs SECRETARIAT IN UN WOMEN HEADQUARTERS, COME UP WITH THE WAYS TO FORMALIZE WEPS SIGNEE'S NETWORK UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed
Recommendation: Continue engaging companies – signees of WEPs in promotion of these principles and use their network to reach out small and medium size companies to integrate WEPs;
Management Response: Engaging more companies in WEPs movement is part of the UN Women Annual Work plan for 2021, despite of non- availability of a cost-share project/donor funding currently. Due to the strategic importance of the WEPs work, UN Women Core resources will be allocated to office’s WEPs related work.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, National ownership
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
TO KEEP ONE STAFF MEMBER WHO WILL WORK SPECIFICALLY ON WEPS UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed One staff member was retained to work specifically on WEPs related issues.
CONTINUE OUTREACHING TO MORE COMPANIES UN Women GEO CO 2021/02 Completed The number of outreached companies bypassed 100 in 2021.
TO IMPELEMENT MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME IN ORDER TO ATTRACT MORE COMPANIES TO WEPs AND EXPAND THE POOL OF HR PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE SENSITIVE IN GENDER ISSUES UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed Institutional Capacity Development Center (ICDC) has been contracted through an open call to Implement a workplace mentorship programme. This implies working with up to 15 new companies, which are potential WEPs signees. Current WEPs signees who have successful mentorship programmes will be asked to share their experiences related to WEPs work.
Recommendation: Attract more men - leaders i.e., CEOs of WEPs companies, to raise awareness and deconstruct stereotypes about women working in male dominating professions;
Management Response: Majority of CEOs of WEPs signee companies are men. Some efforts have been made to increase their gender sensitivity, but their availability remains a challenge. Targeted actions need to be planned and carried out to ensure their increased commitment and engagement.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Engaging men and boys
UNEG Criteria: Impact
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
TO USE EXSISTING EXPERIENCE OF SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND TO FORMALIZE MEN CEO’S NETWORK WHO ARE SUPPORTING GEWE UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed The experience sharing exercise took place, however, the CO network is not yet formed.
ENGAGE MALE CEOS IN HE4SHE CAMPAIGN UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed The male CEOs have been actively engaged in He4She campaign as well as in 16 days of activism campaign.
Recommendation: Continue raising awareness on criticality of public and private partnerships (SDG 17) in promotion of gender equality and WEE and overall achievement of SDGs by broader dissemination of examples of best practices in partnerships developed under the JAWE including through the dedicated national SDG portal;
Management Response: JAWE project has indeed initiated some interesting public – private partnership cases. Further efforts will be made to strengthen them.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, UN Coordination
UNEG Criteria: Impact, Human Rights
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES OF SUPPORTING PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN THE FIELDS OF INTEREST OF UN WOMEN (FOR EXAMPLE, GIRLS IN ICT) UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed The funding has been mobilized for the girls in ICT work; Also, with UN Women active engagement Georgia undertook commitments under Generation Equality Action Coalition - Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality.
Recommendation: Ensure more synergies with projects implemented by UN Women and other UN agencies i.e., FAO, UNDP, that promote economic empowerment of rural women and decentralization reform and emphasize joint efforts on increasing competencies of the local governance that may have positive impact on WEE;
Management Response: UN Women is co-chairing together with UNDP the Gender Theme Group's Task Force on Women's Economic Empowerment. This Task Force will continue to serve as the platform for enhanced coordination / cooperation of different development players, including UN agencies towards greater economic empowerment of women.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Internal coordination and communication
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination
UNEG Criteria: Impact, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
CONTINUE SHARING INFORMATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES WORKING ON WOMEN’S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT IN THE FRAMEWORKS OF WEE TASK FORCE OF GENDER THEME GROUP UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed Task completed
ENSURE THAT UN WOMEN PROJECT ON GOVERNANCE COORDINATES IT WORK WITH UNDP PROJECTS WORING ON THE SAME TOPIC UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed In the frameworks of UNSDCF Result group 1, UN Women and UNDP coordinate their work in the area of decentralization and local governance.
Recommendation: Strengthen cooperation with local self-governments on WEE using the results of capacity building interventions in the framework of the regional WEE project; promote joint projects between women- entrepreneurs, SHGs and local self-government that contribute to improvement of conditions for women, especially the most vulnerable, and other community members to benefit from agritourism development i.e., establishing agri-routes and their promotion, producing souvenirs and other goods, become included into value chains.
Management Response: UN women prioritized cooperation with the local government within JAWE project. Even if GRB work was not initially part of the project, a decision was made to later engage in this work due to its high relevance to WEE locally.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
ENSURE TIGHT COOPERATION WITH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF SAMEGRELO REGION IN THE FRAMEWORKS OF UN WOMEN/FAO JOINT PROJECT UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed UN Women has fulfilled this recommendation while working with Samegrelo local government within the already existing joint project with FAO.
Recommendation: Together with other UN agencies support changes in the social assistance system to be able to reach out most vulnerable women and their families that depend on the Targeted Social Assistance (TSA) and stimulate them to benefit from grant mechanisms and opportunities for stipends and internships in order to move from economic inactivity or vulnerable (informal) employment;
Management Response: Targeted Social Assistance (TSA) programme remains problematic, causing the dependency on the system and making its recipients economically inactive. Government together with UNICEF has initiated some changes to the TSA, but the main deficiencies of the programme are still in force. While we think that due to Covid-19 related economic crisis it is not realistic now to work on reforming the social assistance system, it can be one of the important advocacy efforts in the future.
Description:
Management Response Category: Partially Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy, Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, UN Coordination, Normative Support
UNEG Criteria: Human Rights
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
ADRESS THE ISSUE OF TSA IN THE FRAMEWORKS OF UNCT/UNSDCF PROCESSES UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed This recommendation is partially accepted as it is beyond UN Women mandate to fully address it. Still, UN Women will do its best in partnership with other UNCT members to initiate discussion on reforming the TSA programme.
Recommendation: During the next phase, incorporate the COVID-19 dimensions into promotion of participation of women in regional trade including through opportunities available within the project “Women’s Economic Empowerment in South Caucasus”
Management Response: Recommendation is fully accepted. All new projects of UN Women will contain Covid -19 dimension. Promoting regional trade is also a separate priority for UN Women.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Organizational efficiency
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
MAKE SURE ALL NEW PROJECTS CONTAIN COVID-19 DIMENSION UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed
TO DO A FEASIBILITY STUDY ON HOW EFFECTIVE WILL BE CREATION OF THE E-COMMERCE PLATFORM FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS UN Women GEO CO 2021/02 Completed UN Women partner Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry produced a feasibility study on the e-commerce platform. The study is finalized. The platform (if created, depends on availability of resources) will have a regional coverage and support regional trade.
Recommendation: Mainstream issues of resilience of women in the next projects on WEE; these should include strengthening resilience of women and their business to shocks resulting from the pandemic and the following that economic crisis; ecological resilience of women in rural areas i.e., access to green sources of energy, sustainable methods of agriculture and other should become a priority due to the unequal impact of climate change on women; seek more synergies with UN agencies that focus on rural development and ecological resilience of communities due to relevance of these with interventions of UN Women on promoting women’s involving in agritourism development;
Management Response: Recommendation is accepted. The pandemic has demonstrated that mainstreaming resilience should be a standing priority for UN Women programming work.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Climate change, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
MAINSTREAM ISSUES OF RESILIENCE OF WOMEN WHILE DRAFTING THE NEW PROJECTS PROPOSALS ON WEE UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed
TO HIRE A BUSINESS CONSULTING COMPANY TO SUPPORT WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS WITH INDIVIDUAL ANTI-CRISIS PLANS UN Women GEO CO together with Georgian Farmers' Association 2021/02 Completed UN Women together with Georgian Farmer’s Association hired a consultancy company “Loyalte” to work with women entrepreneurs to overcome the economic shock caused by the crisis. 50 individual anti-crisis plans have been developed jointly by women entrepreneurs and Loyalte consultants.
Recommendation: For the second phase of the JAWE project, integrate into the project design (under the same Outputs) key milestones to reflect the complexity of the ToC for WEE and underlying its assumptions; add indicators that measure, in addition to achievement of Outputs, means for achievement of results, for example: public-private partnerships; increased gender-sensitivity of the state programmes that target economic empowerment and their impact on WEE; changes in institutional culture due to implementation of WEPs action plans (at private companies) and gender mainstreaming at the state agencies and benefits of that for WEE.
Management Response: The concept note of the second phase of JAWE project has been developed and shared with the donor. After / if UN Women receives confirmation of interest from the donor, a detailed project document will be drafted considering the recommendation – more indicators will be added to reflect the complexity of the ToC for WEE and underlying its assumptions;
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
MORE INDICATORS WILL BE ADDED IN THE PRODOC OF THE NEW PHASE OF JAWE PROJECT UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed Task completed.
Recommendation: Use the opportunities that are coming from the strategic position of the GCCI in the ongoing dual vocational education system reform and promote development of public-private partnerships in vocational education and training that provide access for women to diverse and flexible educational opportunities including internships, job placements; engage professional associations, academic institutions and the private sector in promotion of women’s education in non-traditional occupations; focus more on rural youth (among them girls and young women) to encourage them to undertake education and training in the areas that promote rural development including agritourism development, such as IT solutions, technological innovations in agriculture, new sources of energy and other;
Management Response: UN Women indeed thinks that promotion of vocational education, especially among youth residing in rural areas is very important. Some steps in this direction have already been taken during the lifespan of the project.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
TO ORGANIZE A MEETING BETWEEN GCCI AND REPRESENTATIVES OF VET INSTITUTIONS TO RAISE THEIR AWARNESS ON GEWE AND TO SUPPORT COOPERATION AMONG THEM UN Women GEO CO 2021/02 Completed GCCI with support of UN Women Georgia organized an online meeting for VET institutions, presented WEPs to them and discussed their potential cooperation with private sector companies. Later, other online meeting was held for VET institutions and companies together to introduce the cooperation framework. In total, the collaboration has started between 5 companies and 5 VET institutions.: LLC Tamari and Kachreti College “Aisi”; LLC Dio and construction college “Construct2”; Subway and college “Golden Sea”; GGM and college “Spektri”; LLC Leader and college “Georgia”. Memoranda concluded between the private companies and VET institutions include mutual activities that support the development of VETs and promoting women to be actively involved in non-traditional fields through offering internships, scholarships and job placements. Apart from the financial and job placement support, the parties to the memorandum agree to be involved in mutual marketing and communications campaigns held in rural areas of Georgia.
TO FOLLOW UP ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MEMORANDAS BETWEEN COMPANIES AND VETS UN Women GEO CO and GCCI 2021/12 Completed
TO LAUNCH AN AWARNESS RAISING CAMPAIGN AMONG GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO UNDERTAKE EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE AREAS THAT ARE MOSTLY MALE-DOMINATED, SUCH AS IT SOLUTIONS, TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS IN AGRICULTURE, NEW SOURCES OF ENERGY AND OTHER; UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed Resources mobilized for the recommendation's implementation
Recommendation: Continue provision of services to women’s startups and SMEs and support networking between successful women-owned business enterprises and women with start-ups/business ideas i.e., for mentoring, experience exchange, business links, inclusion in value chains etc.
Management Response: Provision of services to women’s startups and SMEs and support networking between successful women-owned business enterprises and women with start-ups/business ideas is indeed very important for UN Women. Despite of absence of donor funding, some key next steps have been identified and planned.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
TO ORGANIZE AN ONLINE TRAINING IN INTERNET AND TECHNOLOGIES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MASHAV CARMEL TRAINING CENTER UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed Some 37 women entrepreneurs have been selected (out of 268 applications) and underwent a training course consisting of 4 modules.
SYSTEMATIZE DATABASES OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS PER REGIONS OF GEORGIA UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed Task completed
TO PILOT AN ENGAGEMENT WITH WOMEN STARTUPPERS AND FACILITATE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN AN INTERNATIONAL ACCELERATION PROGRAMMES UN Women GEO CO 2021/02 Completed UN Women partnered with a Silicon Valley based company US Market Access Center to facilitate funding of one woman startupper’s participation in the global startup acceleration program “Prospera”. UN Women plans to explore opportunities of further engaging with women startup acceleration programs depending on the availability of funding.
KEEP THE ACTIVITY OF THE FACEBOOK PLATFORM UNITING UP TO 500 WOMEN AND EXPAND IT FURTHER UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed During first wave of Covid-19 pandemic, UN Women created a closed Facebook group uniting over 500 women to share Covid-related information. The group is now used to share information about trainings, grant programs etc. It is also a good channel to keep communication line with former project beneficiaries.
Recommendation: Use opportunities that are coming from the approval of the law on agritourism to upscale interventions on social mobilization and women’s business enterprises development; establish cooperation with other UN and non-UN agencies that will be involved in promoting agri- or eco-tourism to increase the access of women to relevant for them vocational education opportunities, extension services and modern technologies and “know-how”;
Management Response: Work on Agritourism legislation has been highly important for the JAWE project. Parliamentary elections which took place in October 2020, hindered adoption of the law. Currently, the new Parliament is discussing if it will carry forward the adoption of the law or not. Using the opportunities arising from the law /coordinating with UN agencies is a next step in this process.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: National ownership, Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Normative Support
UNEG Criteria: Impact
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
TO CONVENE THE CORE WORK GROUP ON AGRITOURISM LEGISLATION (GEORGIAN FARMER’S ASSOCIATION, AGRARIAN COMMITTEE, ISET) AND PLAN NEXT STEPS OF ADVOCACY UN Women GEO CO 2021/02 Completed
TO DEVELOP A BRIEF PAPER ON KEY STRENGTHS AND ADVANTAGES OF AGRITOURISM LAW AND SHARE WITH THE PARLIAMENT; UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed The justification paper around the Agritourism law has been prepared and shared with the Parliament.
TO ORGANIZE A MEETING WITH THE NGOS ACTIVE IN THE TOURISM SECTOR AND DISCUSS AND AGREE THE NEXT STEPS OF THE LAW; UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed There have been organized number of meetings with different CSOs active in the sector.
TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF REGULATORY IMPACT ASSESSMENTRESULTS PREPARED BY ISET. UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed Task completed
Recommendation: Engage regional or municipal media to popularize successful women-entrepreneurs in rural areas by disseminating stories about what the barriers were for these women and what strategies they chose to overcome those obstacles to succeed.
Management Response: Throughout the project the key emphasis was put on engaging central media outlets. However, when regional forums were taking place, local media was actively covering the events. UN Women considers that project highly contributed to increasing women entrepreneur’s visibility by featuring their stories in different central media outlets (Forbes, Entrepreneur, BMG, Marketer.ge, Mtavari TV), which still remain among most watched/read media outlets. Several local outlets were then taking stories of the local women entrepreneurs and publishing them in local newspaper or inviting them in the local TV show. While we share the idea that local media can be an important additional resource for promoting women entrepreneurs, we consider that central media outlets have much higher rating and should remain as key partners.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind, Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
TO PILOT WORK WITH LOCAL MEDIA IN SAMEGRELO REGION WITH REGARDS TO WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS ENGAGED IN DAIRY PRODUCTION. UN Women GEO CO 2021/12 Completed UN Women has initiated a project with FAO, funded by Swiss Development Cooperation in Samegrelo Region focused on empowerment of women engaged in dairy production. A pilot work has been carried out with the local media to see what role does the local media have in the promotion of women’s small businesses.