Researchers report discrimination of Muslim women in Adjara

Muslim women of Adjara are subjected to discrimination in schools. They do not get higher education and cannot find jobs. They themselves refuse to participate in political and public life. This was stated by authors of the study conducted in four districts of Adjara.

In December 2017, the research was conducted by the Tolerance and Diversity Institute (TDI), the UN Association of Georgia (UNAG), and the Union of Muslims of Georgia. 44 Muslim women were interviewed.

According to the survey, in schools, girls are not allowed to wear religious attributes, including traditional Arab headscarves.

Muslim girls usually early get married, and they get no higher education and often even no secondary education, said Dali Solomonidze, the deputy chair of the Union of Muslims of Georgia.

According to her, in villages where there are mosques, Muslims prefer to teach children in them. In one of these villages, people set a school on fire, since they believed they did not need it.

In schools, Muslim pupils are sometimes ill-treated by Christian pupils.

Besides, in Georgia, employers avoid hiring Muslim women and mothers with many children.

In villages, only men attend meetings, and women are not invited to come, although they do not mind taking part in them.

"The study has found out that Muslim women are subjected not only to discrimination, but also to self-discrimination. The exit is in active work and active participation of Muslim women in social and political life," said Tariel Nagaidze, the chair of the Union of Muslims of Georgia.