Baia Pataraia, the lawyer and women's rights defender who redefines the future for Georgia
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Ever since she was a child, growing up in a country struggling with poverty and social issues, Baia Pataraia from Georgia has always dreamed of freedom and fixing problems around her.
Today, Pataraia is a prominent human rights defender and lawyer renowned for her extensive work in women’s rights and commitment to combating violence against women.
She co-founded the Georgian Women’s Movement, an informal activist group of over 4,000 women. She now serves as the executive director of Union Sapari, a grassroots NGO dedicated to ending violence against women and promoting equal rights in Georgia.
Wartime childhood and bride kidnappings
Born in Tbilisi in 1982, Pataraia’s resilience was shaped by her childhood, spent in post-Soviet violence and poverty. Some of her earliest memories are from the Georgian Civil War (1991-1993), which left a lasting impact on the country.
"It was a dark time - no electricity, sometimes no water. But as a child, you accept reality. For me, it was a happy time. But I couldn’t understand why adults were so troubled. I thought, when I grow up, I’ll fix all these problems. That thought stayed with me. I’m active today because I want my country to do better and for people to live happier lives," she explains.
As a teenager, she became increasingly aware of social injustice, particularly gender inequality, when early marriages and bride kidnappings were common in Georgia.
I’m active today because I want my country to do better and for people to live happier lives."
– Baia Pataraia
According to Baia Pataraia, victims of bride kidnappings were often stigmatized, with families reluctant to search for or accept them back if they escaped.
"Walking with my parents, some people would say, ‘Your daughter is so pretty, someone will kidnap her.’ My mom would always get nervous. She taught me how to handle men and boys and said if I were kidnapped, they’d do everything to bring me back and put those men in prison. That gave me a lot of strength," she recalls.
The birth of the feminist identity
After earning her master’s degree in human rights law in 2006, Baia Pataraia worked as a lawyer at the Rehabilitation Centre for Victims of Torture, one of Georgia’s first non-profits.
From her home filled with personal mementos to the protest signs that symbolize her activism, Baia Pataraia’s journey reflects her unwavering fight for equality. Photo: UN Women/Danijel Rakić
In 2008, she joined the free legal aid program of Union Sapari, a pioneering organization combating violence against women. There, she first encountered survivors whose stories inspired her to commit to fighting this cause throughout her career.
At a time when few in Georgia identified as feminists, Baia Pataraia sought to challenge that. In 2012, she and other young women formed the Independent Group of Feminists, a grassroots initiative to amplify women’s voices in social and political spheres.
Two years later, in response to rising femicides and public outrage, she co-founded the Georgian Women’s Movement. This informal online initiative grew into a prominent feminist advocacy and campaigning force.
A new hope for women in Georgia
"I remember our first meeting vividly. Up to fifty women of diverse ages and backgrounds - professors, journalists, celebrities, models - came together, many new to activism, but all united by outrage over the killings of women in our country. We decided to start a women’s movement,” she recalls.
They planned a massive protest for November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, with a clear goal: to make the issue a national priority, compelling leaders and lawmakers to act.
Baia Pataraia embodies a new hope for women in Georgia, leading movements that demand justice and equality with firm determination and focus. Photo: UN Women/Danijel Rakić
The demonstration was an unprecedented success: thousands of women and supporters rallied in over 20 cities across Georgia, demanding enforcement of laws protecting women from gender-based violence.
They urged police to improve responses to domestic violence, thoroughly investigate femicides, and prosecute perpetrators. The government responded by creating a working group to ensure the prompt enforcement of existing legislation and improve protections for victims of abuse.
“And since then, we have never stopped,” she says.
Despite facing backlash, Baia Pataraia and her colleagues raised awareness about violence against women through television appearances and debates with right-wing groups.
Their efforts sparked what she described as “a real new wave of feminism in Georgia.”
Legal victories and challenges
Putting her beliefs into institutional practice, she worked in Georgia’s Ministry of Justice from 2009 to 2013. During this period, she helped draft Article 126 of the Georgian Criminal Code, formally defining domestic violence as a crime. She also worked to include sexual harassment in the Law on Gender Equality.
In 2013, Baia Pataraia became the executive director of Union Sapari. Under her leadership, Sapari has provided legal and rehabilitation services to hundreds of survivors and has become a powerful advocate for stronger legislation to protect women.
As a prominent lawyer and human rights defender, Pataraia was often the first and only person in the mind of a woman facing abuse.
“Women contact me daily through Facebook seeking advice or legal support,” she explains. “Some are too afraid to call the police. I've helped women who called me while locked in bathrooms, guiding them through the crisis while coordinating with the police. At one meeting, a woman stood up and said, ‘Thanks to her, I'm alive today,’” she recalls.
According to Pataraia, in most cases, Sapari litigations are either won or settled favorably. She emphasizes the importance of publicizing these success stories and empowering others to reach out.
"I've helped women who called me while locked in bathrooms, guiding them through the crisis while coordinating with the police." – Baia Pataraia
“I've met women who say, ‘I've seen it on TV and that's why I decided to try and seek help,’” she says.
Contributions and recognition
Through her advocacy for laws against sexual harassment and domestic violence and her leadership of Union Sapari in providing legal support and empowerment for women in Georgia, Baia Pataraia’s work is aligned with the “Zero Violence” area of the Beijing+30 Action Agenda, a voluntary, action-oriented platform to accelerate the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the 2030 Agenda.
With over two decades of experience, Pataraia has brought previously taboo topics like domestic violence into the public discourse. She challenged misconceptions that domestic violence occurs only in vulnerable groups or rural areas, highlighting its prevalence across all parts of society.
Since 2013, she has expanded Sapari’s mission to include women’s political empowerment, aiming to dismantle systemic gender discrimination.
Today, her contributions extend beyond Georgia through collaborations with UN Women and other international organizations. She has co-authored key reviews and recommendations on women’s rights progress, influencing national and global advocacy efforts.
On International Women's Day in 2024, Georgia’s first female President, Salome Zourabichvili, awarded Baia Pataraia the Medal of Honor for her extraordinary commitment to advancing women’s rights and ending violence against women.
Baia holds the Medal of Honor, a powerful symbol of recognition for her relentless fight to advance women’s rights and end violence. Photo: UN Women/Danijel Rakić
Backlash and defiance
Despite public recognition of the feminist struggle, Georgia has seen a troubling backlash against civil society, with human rights defenders like Baia Pataraia enduring threats and smear campaigns.
Though her home has been vandalized, and her organization faces attacks from conservative groups opposing progress in gender equality and human rights, Baia Pataraia remains relentless in her commitment to women’s rights, promoting resilience and strength.
"I’ve been offered opportunities to leave the country, but I only left for education and came back. I decided I’d rather make this country better for myself, my family, and everyone I know than move to a better place. Many people say I should at least move out of my home because it’s no longer safe, but I refuse to move, hide, or flee. This is my battlefield," she concludes defiantly.
This story is a part of the Beijing+30 regional communications campaign ‘Unstoppable’, aimed at marking the 30th commemoration of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The views expressed in this story are those of the protagonist and the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of UN Women, the United Nations, or any of its affiliated organizations.