Georgian and Armenian ruling parties have been until recently basking in the glory of high GDP growth rates. Armenia’s stellar growth performance of 7.5% in 2017 and Georgia’s respectable 5% are, indeed, worthy of praise. However, do these figures really matter for the objective well-being of the majority of Georgians and Armenians? Second, how does economic growth, as measured by GDP, affect people’s subjective perception of happiness?

Despite substantial improvements in education, professional development, and political participation, women remain underrepresented in leadership positions in politics, and Georgia is no exception. In 2017, the country ranked in 94th place (out of 144), according to the Global Gender Gap Index (GGI), which indicates that Georgia is not performing well in closing the gender gap. The GGI serves as a comprehensive and consistent measure for gender equality, which can track a country’s progress over time.

ISET-PI researcher Laura Manukyan of the Social Policy Research Center is excited to share her experience gained through professional development programs over the summer. She participated in two international summer schools, entitled “Inequality of Educational Opportunities” and “BRICS Global Business and Innovations”, organized by the Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow and St. Petersburg respectively. Both included lectures, practical sessions, as well as group projects.

The Georgian constitution has a guarantee of gender equality in the country. Accordingly, men and women have equal rights to land ownership, and the right to inherit land is the same for both sexes. However, in Georgia, as in many developing countries, land ownership issues are very much influenced by cultural values. Georgian traditions make it less likely that land will be inherited by the daughter.

On April 6, ISET hosted a seminary by World Bank Senior Director on Gender Ms. Caren Grown, on Gender Equality as a Smart Development Policy in Georgia. Ms. Caren Grown was invited as part of the anti-corruption course jointly organized by ISET and the NHH (the Norwegian School of Economics).