Women’s Economic Empowerment in the South Caucasus (WEE)

Women's economic empowerment (WEE) aims to ensure that women are able to engage in decent work, gain social protection, access markets and manage resources, thus enhancing their participation in economic decisions stemming from the household-level to business interactions.

Despite notable progress in WEE in the South Caucasus, significant challenges persist. These include women’s limited formal employment opportunities, low labour force participation rates, a considerable gender pay gap, and extensive involvement in the informal sector. Moreover, gender stereotypes and cultural norms often confine women to domestic roles, hindering their full integration into the workforce. Challenges, such as inadequate childcare and social protections exacerbate these issues, while gender-sensitive labour policies remain insufficient, leaving many women without formal rights or protections.

Outcome 1: Women, particularly the poor and socially excluded, use skills, economic opportunities, relevant information, network and support to become farmers/ entrepreneurs or to join the formal labour sector in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Outcome 2: Armenia and Georgia implement adequate legislative and policy reforms and frameworks to enable women’s economic empowerment.

Outcome 3: The government, public and non-governmental institutions are strengthened to develop and deliver gender-responsive programmes, policies and services for women’s economic empowerment in Armenia and Georgia.

Expected results:  

• 450 women with strengthened capacities/skills to join the formal labour sector, become farmers/ entrepreneurs, contribute to the local planning and budgeting discussions in the region; 335 women with better and more secure employment (including self-employment)
• 150 women contribute to local planning and budgeting/GRB discussions aimed at addressing their socio-economic concerns
• 40 new private enterprises signed the UN Women/UN Global Compact WEPs
• The Structure of Earnings Survey (SES) in Georgia launched
• 2 public institutions develop special programmes on WEE in Armenia and Georgia

Results from previous phases:  

Grassroots level:

• 2’555 women in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia increased their awareness on gender equality; 691 women became self-employed through entrepreneurial activities and agricultural production; 490 women in Armenia and Georgia actively participated in gender responsive budgeting (GRB); 51 companies became signatories of Women’s Economic Empowerment Principles (WEPs)

Policy level:

• Changes were introduced to the Labour Code of Georgia in 2020 to define 'pay' and establish the principle of equal pay
• Georgia became a member of the EPIC (Equal Pay International Coalition) in 2021
• Amendments were introduced to Georgia's Labour Code in 2023 doubling the state-provided maternity benefit
• Armenia’s Gender Equality Strategy 2024-2027 was developed

Institutional level:

• First stand-alone program by the Rural Development Agency was established to increase women’s access to finance in Georgia
• National Time Use Surveys (TUS) were launched in Georgia and Armenia