Women’s Movement in Contemporary Georgia and The Role of Facebook in Developments of the Movement

Abstract: There is a theoretical debate among social movement scholars around an increasing concern with the role of technology in terms of key social movement activities, including mobilization, running and engaging in campaigns and making claims on authorities. This research deals with this debate and contributes to it with this case study on the Georgian women’s movement. The research examines women’s movement in Georgia, which is divided in two parts: formalized, institutionalized women’s NGOs and non-formal, non-registered women’s groups. This particular study targets three central episodes: the case of femicides starting in 2014 up until March, 2018; the case of quotas in the Parliament from 2014 up until March, 2018; and the case of legal gender recognition in 2018. Within these episodes, the progress of the movement is analyzed in terms of mechanisms and processes of social movements and the role of Facebook in the development and operations of the movement is studied. The study proves that Facebook plays a crucial role in Georgian women’s movement in terms of coalition formation, organization, mobilization, diffusion and framing. Women’s movement operates with different tactics according to the claims they make, which leads to a diverse use of Facebook in their activities. A vast amount of activism of the movement is done through Facebook due to the fact that activism is mainly a voluntary arena in Georgia. Facebook creates a working space for women to discuss, organize, mobilize and take actions. Facebook assures that the movement remains continuity and durability through easy access of membership and absence of geographical boundaries. The research analyzes the crucial role Facebook has in facilitating mobilization and central but rather complicated goal in framing. Even though Facebook does not have a revolutionary power to make immediate, institutional changes and the power remains in hands of political elites, it contributes to the overcoming small milestones and long-term process of sustained campaigns.