Women Strengthening their Communities – Lyolya’s Story

Lyolya Raisiani, community worker, Akhalkalaki municipality.

“Although I got married at an early age and had a child, I did not give up my desires and decided to study to be an independent and successful woman in the future. I’m a motivated and purposeful woman. Always believe that challenges help me move forward and develop. In addition to studying and caring for my child, I also started working as an assistant of the coordinator in the youth center at the NGO “UDM”. This organization and its staff made a great contribution to my professional development. Working with the youth was very exciting for me, however I also wanted to support women groups with their empowerment and development. It was a very difficult time for me. I was overwhelmed, but with the support of my family, I was able to do everything - housekeeping, childcare, studying and working as well.

Akhalkalaki municipality is inhabited by ethnic Armenians. Most of them do not speak Georgian and therefore they face many problems. Thanks to my mother-in-law, I studied Georgian well, which helps me to realize my potential. I always wanted to help other women develop, so got involved in community strengthening activities and after joining the Women’s Economic Empowerment project supported by UN Women, I became a community worker of Vachiani and Kartikami villages. Despite the busy schedule, I always tried to support the women participating in this project. Since they do not know the Georgian language, I helped them in different issues including filling in the applications for the grant competition. In addition I continue to support other locals in solving various problems: issues related to the bank, legislation, healthcare and so on.

The existing stereotypes were the only significant challenge for me. There have always been and still are different attitudes towards women among society: a woman should be at home, a woman should not work, a woman should not drive a car, etc. However, I was not afraid to improve my potential and fight every day to break these stereotypes so that women can develop more, become independent and have their own business. If a woman got married at an early age, it does not mean that she has to be at home. For me, it is vital for woman to work and be independent. Therefore, I try to show everyone the right way to use the opportunities. For example, when this project started, I put a lot of effort into motivating women to participate and be empowered.

Now, I’m happy that my tireless work was estimated, and with the help of the project, women from both my communities have become more active, empowered and involved in social activities. The women’s success has become a good example for other residents of Akhalkalaki as well. The stereotypical view of the society regarding the empowerment of women is also changing step by step. All my future plans are related to the development of the community. I am glad that my hard work and energy was not in vain. Women from my communities were funded and started their own small businesses."

The project “Women’s Economic Empowerment through Social Mobilization and Capacity Building” is funded by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), implemented by Kakheti Regional Development Foundation (KRDF), Taso Foundation (TF), and CARE Caucasus (CARE).