Background and political system
With a population of almost 3.7 million people, Georgia is located in Eastern Europe and Western Asia bordering Türkiye, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia. Georgia’s first multiparty elections were held in 1918, after gaining independence from the Russian empire. In 1921, the country was annexed to the Soviet Union, from which it seceded in 1991 to become a Republic.
The Constitution of Georgia has been effective since 1995, and subsequently amended several times, last in 2020 when the legislative electoral system was revised. The Constitution provides the framework for the country’s political institutions and governance. Georgia is a parliamentary republic divided into nine regions (mkhareebi), one city (kalaki), and two autonomous republics (avtonomiuri respublika) and governs via central, intermediate (Autonomous Republic of Adjara) and local government structures. The territories of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region (formerly the South Ossetian Autonomous Region) are currently under Russian control and are not administered by the Georgian government.
Georgia’s government consists of the Executive and Legislative branches, complemented by the Judicial branch. The central government is led by the President of the Republic who acts as Head of State and is directly elected for a five-year term. Following the latest constitutional amendments, starting from elections following those of 2018, future presidents will be elected by a 300-member College of Electors. The Prime Minister is the Head of Government, is nominated by the Parliament and appointed by the President. The executive branch’s Council of Ministers consists of the Prime Minister and ministers who are appointed by the Prime Minister. The unicameral Parliament, called the Sakartvelos Parlamenti, is formed by members directly elected by the public. The judicial branch hosts the Supreme Court which consists of 28 judges, and the Constitutional Court which consists of nine judges, in addition to subordinate courts. The Autonomous Republic of Adjara has a supreme court and a hierarchy of lower courts.
Gender equality and women’s empowerment
Women’s right to vote and stand for election was first ensured in the country in 1918, and confirmed under Soviet administration and after Georgia’s independence in 1991. The first women parliamentarians, Minadora Orjonikidze-Toroshelidze, Eleonora Ter-Parsegova-Makhviladze, Kristine Sharashidze, Elizabeth (Liza) Nakashidze-Bolkvadze and Ana Sologashvili, were elected in 1918. In 1918 the first ever (worldwide) Muslim woman – Parikhan Sopieva, was elected as a member of the National Assembly.
Traditional patriarchal values and gender stereotypes have persisted in the Georgian society, both beneath the surface of the communist era despite formal gender equality, and following the country’s democratic transition, creating barriers to practical socioeconomic and political equality and participation.
According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index, Georgia has dropped downwards in ranking from 2022, from 55th place out of 146 countries in 2022, 76th place in 2023 and 69th in 2024. Key challenges persist, especially in the areas of political and economic empowerment, with a difference in labour force participation rate of almost 20 percent, and a decrease in women’s representation in parliament, from 20.7 percent at the end of 2020 to 19.3 percent in July 2024. Women of reproductive age also face barriers to exercising their sexual and reproductive health and rights, as only one in two women aged 15-49 has their need for family planning satisfied.
Structure of parliament
The Parliament is composed of 150 members (currently 140), out of which 120 are directly elected in a single nationwide constituency through a proportional representation vote, while the remaining 30 members are directly elected in single-seat constituencies through a majority vote. In 2017, the Parliament adopted constitutional amendments, including a transition to a fully proportional system in 2024 with a five percent threshold. The Parliament of Georgia is responsible for exercising legislative powers, defining the main directions of the country’s domestic and foreign policies, and controlling the activities of the Government within the scope established by the Constitution.
In 2024, the Georgian Parliament adopted amendments to the country’s Electoral Code that abolished mandatory parliamentary quotas for women, which were introduced in 2020 and required that at least one out of every four persons on a party list be of a different gender.
Women's representation in parliament
As of July 2024, the Georgian parliament has 27 women members, representing 19.3 percent of total deputies. Ketevan Kvinikadze is the current Secretary General of the Parliament. The next elections will be held in 2024 with a fully proportional system.
Forecast based on past trends
If changes continue at the current pace, this is how women's representation in parliament will look like by 2030.
We calculated this forecast by taking the average rate of improvement from 1995 to 2023 and projecting it into the future.
Forecast based on recent trends
If changes registered in the past five years continue, this is how women's representation in parliament will look like by 2030.
We calculated this forecast by taking the average rate of change in the past five years and projecting it into the future.
Best case forecast
If the situation improves similarly to the country performing best in the region, this is how women's representation in parliament will look like by 2030.
We calculated this forecast by taking the rate of improvement from the country performing best in the region and accelerating the change with this amount over five years and then keeping it constant.
Worst case forecast
If the situation deteriorates similarly to the country registering the worst drop in the region, this is how women's representation in parliament will look like by 2030.
We calculated this forecast by taking the drop rate in the country performing worst in the region and deteriorating the situation with this amount over five years and then keeping it constant.
Women Chairpersons of Parliament Committees
The Georgia parliament has 16 specialized Committees on the topics of Agrarian Issues; Budget and Finance; European Integration; Culture; Defense and Security; Diaspora and Caucasus Issues; Education and Science and Youth Affairs; Environmental Protection and Natural Resources; Foreign Relations; Health Care and Social Issues; Human Rights and Civil Integration; Legal Issues; Procedural Issues and Rules; Regional Policy and Self-Government; Sector Economy and Economic Policy; and Sports Committee.
As of July 2024, the chairpersons of the Committee on European Integration (Maka Botchorichvili), the Culture Committee (Eliso Bolkvadze), the Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Committee (Maia Bitadze) and the Parliament’s Gender Equality Council (Nino Tsilosani) are women.
Structure of government
Central government
The President of Georgia is the Head of State and is responsible for ensuring the unity and integrity of the country. The President is also responsible for appointing the Prime Minister. The executive branch is the supreme body of executive power that implements the domestic and foreign policies of the country, and comprises the Prime Minister, who is the Head of Government and chairs the Cabinet of Ministers, two Vice Prime Ministers, and other ministers. The Cabinet of Ministers, appointed by the Prime Minister, is composed of 13 members (including the Prime Minister).
The current Prime Minister of Georgia is Irakli Kobakhidze, who has been in power since February 2024, while the current President is Salome Zourabichvili, who has been in power since 2018. Salome Zourabichvili is the first woman to be elected President of Georgia, while Nino Burjanadze has served as Acting Head of State twice, from 2003 to 2004 and again from 2007 to 2008.
As of July 2024, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Sports (Thea Tsulukiani) and the Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality (Tea Akhvlediani) are women.
Ministers or Cabinet Members
Thea Tsulukiani
Minister of Culture, Sports, and Youth of Georgia and Deputy Prime Minister
Tea Akhvlediani
State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality
Autonomous Republic of Adjara
The government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara is composed of legislative and executive bodies. The legislative branch’s Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara sit in a unicameral chamber, composed of members elected directly, while the executive branch’s Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara is composed of a Chairperson, a Deputy Chairperson and ministers.
Local government
At the local level, municipalities operate as single tiers which consist of 64 municipalities and five self-governing cities, holding political, administrative, and financial authority over local matters, while the Autonomous Republic of Adjara is divided into five municipalities and a self-governing city. Local governments are comprised of both deliberate and executive bodies. Local deliberative bodies are made up of elected members in the municipal assembly, each with a chairperson presiding over them. The local executive bodies comprise an elected Mayor, deputy mayors, and the heads of the structural units of the city hall.
For more information on gender quotas adopted at the national level, visit the women in parliament section.
Structure of public administration
The central government’s roles and responsibilities include coordinating the activities of the ministries and State sub-agencies under their governance; implementing legislative initiatives; regulating financial-budgetary relations; ensuring the unity of the country’s economic space; providing social protection for citizens; implementing national and foreign policies.
Local government bodies are responsible for Georgia’s public administration when it comes to local matters of politics, administration, and finance. Within each local jurisdiction, the local government is in charge of drafting and approving the local budget; introducing and abolishing local taxes and fees; establishing and ensuring of the authorization of early learning, pre-school educational institutions; managing the forest and water resources; managing and disposing of property owned by the municipality; approving of spatial planning schemes, improving of the municipal territory and developing of the appropriate engineering infrastructure; regulating of traffic on local roads; organizing of municipal transport services for the population; and other responsibilities determined in the organic law of Georgia local self-government code.
Women’s representation as employees and decision-makers in public administration
This visualization was developed based on data provided by GIRL@University of Pittsburgh.
Data across countries and territories is not comparable. For more information about the methodology and sources used, read here.
Women’s representation in public administration has seen an empowering shift in Georgia. Women’s presence at the employee level measured 22.8 percent in 2014 and has increased in recent years to 31.0 percent in 2019. In decision-making, women’s representation measured 39.1 percent in 2018, but has increased by a remarkable 4.2 percent to reach 43.3 percent in 2022.