Author: Ana Lejava

Ana Lejava is a policy associate at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security. Previously, she worked as an advisor for the Permanent Mission of Georgia to the United Nations and served as a young ambassador of Georgia to the United States. Ana holds a master’s degree in Eurasian, Russian and East European affairs from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service and a B.A. in political science and dance from Birmingham-Southern College.

Georgia’s Elections Reveal Regression of Democracy and Gender Equity. The Country’s First Female President Is Fighting Back.

From Latin America to Eastern Europe, election results have signaled the global rise of right-wing authoritarianism and a growing backlash against women’s inclusion in politics. Nowhere is this trend more evident than in Georgia, a small yet strategically significant country bridging Europe and Asia.

On Oct. 27, Georgia held pivotal parliamentary elections that many hoped would realign the nation with its pro-European and democratic aspirations. However, the ruling Georgian Dream party, known for its anti-Western rhetoric and led by an oligarch and the country’s richest man, Bidzina Ivanishvili, retained power through disputed elections. This occurred despite over 70 percent of the population supporting EU and NATO integration.