The international conference - Women in the Law-Enforcement - opened today in Tbilisi. The event is organized by the US State Department's International Bureau of Anti-Narcotics and Law Enforcement Programs (INL), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the US Embassy.

US Ambassador to Georgia, Kelly Degnan, representatives of the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Internal Affairs and law enforcement agencies of more than 20 different countries are participating in the event.

Rati Bregadze spoke at the conference about the role and importance of a female lawyer in the field of law enforcement. The Minister noted that gender equality, women's empowerment and prevention of violence against women are strong foundations for ensuring the rule of law and sustainable development of the country.

"Our agency is one of those exemplary institutions where the representation of women in leadership positions is quite balanced. About 60% of the persons employed in managerial positions in the system of the Ministry are women", said Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze.

By 2023, 220 women participants are registered in the conference. The conference will include sessions on women's leadership, challenges in law enforcement, human trafficking, drug enforcement and investigations, gender-based violence, and other topical issues.

The conference will last for four days. Representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the National Agency for Crime Prevention, Non-custodial Sentences Enforcement and Probation, the Penitentiary Service and the Center for Vocational Training and Retraining of Convicts will participate in it.