Georgia - November 2023

Women’s rights activists and public health experts condemned the Ministry of Health’s decision to mandate counselling by a psychologist and social worker before a woman can obtain an abortion. The procedures were updated in October and will come into effect on 1 January 2024, but neither domestic nor international health organizations were consulted on the change and Georgian media did not hear of it until 7 November. The new procedures run contrary to international public health recommendations, and domestic and international advocates worried that they would only lead to an increase of unsafe, illegal abortions.

Sources: OC Media, RFSU

The European Commission recommended that the European Union grant Georgia candidate status on 8 November, and the members of the European Council unanimously agreed on 14 December. The move is symbolic and was celebrated by both Georgian and European political leaders, but it is not a guarantee of future membership. As a condition for future membership, the EU says Georgia must commit to reforms on justice and the rule of law, decrease polarization in the country, and implement a “de-oligarichization” programme, among others.

Sources: European Union, British Broadcasting Corporation, Civil.ge