Conflict and rapid socio-political change over the last two decades has significantly affected lives in Georgia’s rural communities.

Marina Kokoeva, an independent member of the local council, is responsible for several ethnic Ossetian villages located in a remote eastern province of Georgia. In Georgia, 53 per cent of voters are women. Despite these, women are seriously under-represented in local government bodies. According to the results of the 2014 local elections, only 11 per cent of deputies nationwide are women. There are local councils where women are not represented at all.