Shaping women's reproductive decisions: the case of Georgia

Abstract

This article discusses decisions that women in Georgia make concerning their reproductive lives. Based on 26 in-depth interviews conducted in the urban and rural areas of Georgia, the research explores how women's reproductive experiences and decisions are shaped by different factors even in the context of liberal state legislation concerning reproductive rights. The article demonstrates that patriarchal family structures, and traditional and religious values, exert powerful control over women's reproductive lives. Nevertheless, some women develop methods of resistance in order to carry out their decisions regarding their procreative capacities.

Notes

1. See www.parliament.ge (last accessed April 2006).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mariam Gagoshashvili

Mariam Gagoshashvili holds a master's degree in gender studies from the Central European University (Budapest, Hungary). Presently she works for the independent grant-making organisation Women's Fund in Georgia as a programme co-ordinator