Abortion care in Georgia: women face big disparity between law and reality

8 March 2019
By IPPF

Georgia, a low-middle income country located at the crossroads between western Asia and eastern Europe, has come a long way since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Back then, violent civil unrest against the authoritarian government caused war on the streets of the capital, Tbilisi, and sent the government fleeing to Armenia. A three-year-long civil war created political instability and crippled the economy. Severe, countrywide corruption marred public and private institutions for decades, and issues like healthcare and social welfare were sent to the very bottom of the priority pile.

Since then, democratic reforms have been implemented and much of the country now dreams of joining the European Union. The iconic blue flags with a circle of gold stars hang everywhere – in youth centres, schools, hospitals and even people’s homes. To this day however, Georgia still faces major issues. Parts of the country are disputed and large chunks are under Russian control. Unemployment is high - currently 12.6% of the population are out of work, and this figure increases in rural regions.

Continued: https://www.ippfen.org/blogs/abortion-care-georgia-women-face-big-disparity-between-law-and-reality