Authors: Gvantsa Mikautadze, organization Women for Change
“What will they come up with today?” – this is how the morning begins for many Georgian women activists. This is no longer just fear of a specific attack or insult; it is the constant expectation that a new form of pressure may emerge at any moment. The political environment that has taken shape in Georgia in recent years has placed women human rights defenders and activists in a particularly vulnerable position.
Since February 2023, after the authorities initiated the draft law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence,” civil society has become the target of a deliberate defamation campaign. Despite repression, protest has not stopped, for more than a year now, citizens have been protesting on Rustaveli Avenue and beyond, in various forms, against the grave political and legal reality in the country. In this continuous process, women activists have become one of the most visible, yet most unprotected, groups.
The “Agent” Stigma – a new Weapon against Women
The 2025 study “Challenges of Women Human Rights Defenders and Activists in Georgia” shows that today the main form of pressure against women is no longer limited to sexist attacks alone. Stigmatization through the label of “agent” has become a leading weapon, a title that simultaneously damages women’s reputations and portrays them as a threat to Georgian society.
As respondents describe, after the adoption of the “agents law,” strangers address them loudly in the street: “You’re an agent”, “You’re taking money from abroad”, “You’re an enemy of the state”. One activist says: “It’s unpleasant when someone hates you because of false perceptions… they convince people that you’re a millionaire and that money is being transferred to you from abroad”.
The stigma is also actively used in online spaces, where trolls and bots not only label women as “agents,” but also insult their appearance, their “womanhood,” and their “motherhood.” One activist living in a region recalls: “They circulated my photo on social media and wrote – ‘Is it a boy or a girl?’ I look at it ironically now, but when it happened for the first time, it was very painful”.
When Pressure Reaches the Family
The research shows that pressure often extends beyond activists themselves and affects their families as well. Family members are threatened, intimidated, and face professional problems. One respondent recalls that her parent faced a hostile attitude in a public service job solely because their child publicly expressed a critical position toward new laws.
The Price of Activism for Women
Constant threats, online bullying, and a sense of vulnerability characterizes the current reality of women activists, leaving a heavy mark on their mental and physical health. According to the research, they experience persistent anxiety, insomnia, lack of energy, and other stress-related symptoms. One woman describes her experience as follows: “I can’t sleep at night; images of the street come back to me, the noise, police uniforms. It feels like I’m there again”.
This situation is exacerbated by the fact that cases of violence, threats, and online bullying largely remain uninvestigated, reinforcing women’s constant sense of danger and insecurity.
Loneliness and Social Isolation
Activism often comes at the cost of social ties for women. Political positions and differing ideologies create tension in family and friendships. One respondent says: “I lost 70% of the people close to me because of my political position; my family was against me…”
These experiences generate feelings of loneliness and guilt, further worsening women activists’ psycho-emotional state.
Resilience as a Form of Resistance
Despite everything, the research revealed one particularly important fact: not a single woman interviewed intends to stop her activism. For them, activism is a form of struggle for freedom, while collective protest is a source of psychological resilience. As one activist says: “At first I was afraid, now I have resilience. Protest made me stronger. It became a source of my inner stability”.
The experiences of women activists remind us that their voices and their safety are not merely personal matters. Their resilience is a prerequisite for the sustainability of democratic processes. Their voices protect not only women’s rights, but the future of society as a whole. And their safety is a measure of our collective responsibility.
About the Research
This research was conducted within the framework of a joint initiative of CRRC-Georgia and UN Women, aimed at strengthening civil society research capacities. The study was carried out in August 2025 by representatives of the organization Women for Change, Gvantsa Mikautadze and Tamar Chumburidze. The research includes in-depth interviews with 14 women activists living in Tbilisi and in the regions.
The views expressed in this blog belong solely to its author and may not reflect the official positions of UN Women or CRRC-Georgia.
More information about the project is available here.
Photo: Gvantsa Mikautadze
