STORIES OF THE WOMEN FROM GHORJOMI Several years ago, I hitchhiked around the Ghorjomi valley with a friend, marking my first interaction with the place. At that time and even now, people warned me to be cautious with the Ghorjomi residents—sometimes it was in jest, and at other times, the warnings were serious. In 2023, I spent three weeks in the Ghorjomi valley, in a village called Tsetskhladzeebi, with one of the local families. There, I experienced warmth, respect, support, and humor that I hadn't encountered to such an extent before. During this visit, my first connection with the valley was Mzevinar, who runs a small atelier in Ghorjomi and employs local women in her enterprise. Mzevinar introduced me to her coworker, leading me to the Tsetskhladze family, where I met Eka. Together with Eka, we researched, listened, and collected the stories of the local women. The women of Ghorjomi have been and continue to be actively involved in animal care, housework, gardening, child-rasring, taking care of other family members, as well as embroidery, knitting, and sewing. Each woman in the valley carries her own emotional, strong, brave, and inspiring life story. During my stay, Eka and I met and talked with up to 10 women representing three different generations, making it an inspiring and empowering process. The main purpose of this research was to bring forth the honest and sincere stories of the women from Ghorjomi. So you can see, listen, read, and learn about these women who have overcome many challenges through hard work, patience, respect, and humor, establishing themselves in their unique ways of life.
Author of the research and the photos - Nini Khuroshvili Summer 2023, Ghorjomi valley
"When I was in my 9th grade, they arranged a marriage for me with another villager. I didn't want that man, so I ran away with my current husband. During those times, nobody would consider asking a girl if she wanted to get married; it was decided and arranged by the parents. When they were supposed to bring the engagement ring, I didn't allow them to do so. Instead, I went to my aunt and informed her that I wouldn't go through with the planned engagement. My father didn't want me to be with the man I loved because he had made a promise to another villager. My future husband had only one house and three brothers, while the other potential match they wanted me to be engaged with was well-off. Seeing my father's frustration, my husband and I decided to run away. We drove until Zortikeli, walked to Bakhmaro, and then went to Nasakirali village, where my husband had an aunt. We stayed there safely for some time. It was the tea harvest season, and I harvested such a significant amount of tea that I could buy plenty of clothes, utensils, and anything else we needed. In the fall, we returned and arranged our wedding. My father also attended, no longer angry, and even brought me a dowry. My mother forgave me even easily, sometimes sending my sister secretly to bring food to me. Mothers are like that; they won't lose you, no matter what. Later on, my husband and I worked together. We used the money we collected in Nasakirali to purchase bulls, bring wood, and build this beautiful house. I personally enjoyed taking care of the garden, as I did before when I was a little girl. Now, I spend my time here in my garden and do a lot of knitting. Before my granddaughter got married, many wealthy boys asked for her hand, but she didn't wish to accept. Apparently, she was in love with someone else. I advised her to follow her heart, and that's how they got engaged and married. I believe everyone should marry whomever they like. Despite the challenges my husband and I faced, I was always happy to be with him on my terms.” Meriko, Ghorjomi valley, 2023
"I’m Natia Gorgadze, 22 years old from Ghorjomi valley. Ghorjomi is an old and traditional valley where I spent my entire childhood, in a quite crowded village. I always observed village life here and wondered about the good and bad sides of it. Local hospitable and hardworking people eagerly anticipate new types of work, even though their lifestyle involves considerable and year-round agricultural and livestock work. They do all of this with dedication and love for their families and a better future for their kids, particularly in terms of education. I would like to share a bit about myself. Despite my parents' constant advice to study and avoid laziness, I found it frustrating because I didn't have much interest in studying. However, as I started hearing from people around me about the positive impact of having an education and a profession, my perspective changed. Slowly, I became more interested and engaged in studying. As you may know, various villages in Khulo municipality faced numerous challenges regarding education. Limited accessibility to universities or other educational institutions, coupled with fewer financial opportunities, often led to early marriages as a perceived solution. Unfortunately, these situations created significant challenges for young couples that were difficult to overcome. Now, I really believe that education is the foundation of life. Based on my personal experience, I understand how easy it is to manage your life based on your own wishes and desires when you have an education. I am a Muslim, and I studied the Quran for 13 years in parallel with my school. Firstly, I express my gratitude to God and many others who assisted me in learning the holy book. I have always been curious about women's rights, obligations, and dressing styles to better understand the Quran. Now, I'm a free Muslim girl wearing a hijab. Unfortunately, I have encountered many misconceptions about hijab, such as it taking away your rights, limiting you, and acting as a barrier in your life. However, I disagree with all these notions. The hijab is a means of covering parts of your female body from the gaze of men. To me, hijab represents peace, oxygen, and a key to success. These stereotypes need to be overcome, as hijab doesn't hold you from life, education, or success.
Yes, I am now a student studying at a law faculty. My interest in studying law comes from my observations of how religious and ethnic minorities are unfairly treated in Georgia. Even if I change my profession, I have promised myself to always be dedicated to my origins and my country and do my best for its better future. In conclusion, I believe our region has undergone transformation and development. All the changes are moving in a positive direction. Currently, the main challenges include poor road conditions and technology limitations. Perhaps these were also significant reasons for limited education in the past as well. While everyone is aware of gender-related issues, they are also educated about them through Islam. Women and men stand next to each other, supporting each other in times of joy or trouble. This is my Ghorjomi, with its long and interesting stories.” Natia Gorgadze, Ghorjomi valley, 2023
"I was born in a village in Zoti, Ozurgeti municipality. When I was 40 days old, we moved, and I was raised in Nasakirali village. By the time I graduated from the 8th grade, I was already engaged. Inquiring about a girl's preferences for marriage was quite unusual at that time. Parents would simply ask if you were interested or not. I hadn't seen my husband before. Whenever the engagement was arranged, that was the first time I saw my future husband. It was the will of God and fate. As we say, wherever your fate lies, that's where your feet will lead you. Later, I wanted to apply to college to continue my studies in Batumi, but when you are married, it becomes more important to lead life rather than focus on studies. Therefore, I have spent my conscious life here in Ghorjomi. I am extremely happy with my family because, throughout all these years, I managed to fulfill my wishes. I resumed my studies at the age of 40 and made my dreams come true. I personally applied for studies on “Georgian language and Literature” faculty. Later, there was a vacancy in the kindergarten in Ghorjomi, and that's where I have been working ever since. I am committed to supporting and serving the upcoming generations in the valley. In the beginning, it was quite challenging, but I was fortunate to have such a supportive mother-inlaw. She was always encouraging and never criticized me if I couldn't manage something at home. She would show me and teach me in a gentle manner how things were supposed to be done. Later on, my husband and I faced many difficulties, but I love living in the village and cultivating my own organic food, which is beneficial for the body. I cannot imagine living in the city.” Tamar, Ghorjomi valley, 2023
“My father was a history teacher, my brother a linguist, and, in general, my whole family was highly educated. During my childhood, I didn't have many household responsibilities because I had an older sister who always took care of the housework. I was raised with a lot of freedom at home, allowed to behave as I liked and wanted. Being the youngest in the family, I was always curious and interested in studying, but my father didn't allow me to pursue higher education. At that time, opportunities for girls to study after school were limited. Upon finishing school with good results, I had hoped my father would support my further education, but he surprised me by announcing my engagement. I completed school in the summer, and by October, I was already married. When he arranged my engagement at the age of 16, I was unaware of it. In those times, it was uncommon to consult girls about their marriage preferences. I later learned that my father-in-law had put in significant effort to ask for my hand in marriage and arrange the wedding with my relatives. They secretly provided a dowry, even though it was prohibited to engage a girl before her school graduation. In summary, despite some challenges, I had a cheerful and happy childhood. My wedding was grand, followed by the joys of raising children. The middle part of my life presented its share of challenges, but I successfully guided, taught, and assisted my children in settling down and getting married. Now, we have become quite a large family, gathering together for various occasions.” Shushana, Ghorjomi valley, 2023
“I enjoy and love sewing and embroidering a lot. I started my atelier in Ghorjomi in 2020. From the very beginning, it received very good feedback in the valley, and locals were very pleased. At that time, there was nothing like it around; all the women were sewing and embroidering at home. Later on, we began writing projects, and gradually, we started purchasing threads, textiles and machinery. We also experimented with different kinds of embroidery and were invited to exhibitions and museums. Starting this spring, we began taking online orders. I became an example in Ghorjomi. It became possible to have an atelier where you could go and sew whatever you would like to wear. Since then, two new ateliers have opened in Ghorjomi. Local women are also getting employed, and that's really good. For me, using the wheelchair can be very challenging since we don't have proper conditions to move in the village, lacking ramps and facing bad road conditions. If there is an event I would like to visit in the center, I usually can't since it takes place on the second floor, where I can't access. But we are trying our best to make our small enterprise work, taking orders and working hard. One more issue I would like to raise is about the space for women here in Ghorjomi. I’m part of the Women’s Room in Khulo, but if we want to gather and decide on some issues that the village needs, there is no such space in the valley. Priorities are set every year, and this money can be used for village development. Normally, this is decided by men in the center of the village. But what if we might know better what the current needs are? We were promised that they would create such a space like the Women’s Room, but the promise remained unfulfilled. For example, when the valley needed a fire car, men gathered at the imam’s house, collected money, and bought the car. Generally, decisions are made by men. I request that such a discussion space is necessary for women as well to decide and realize their wishes." Mzevinar, Ghorjomi valley, 2023
“In our times, the daughter-in-law was always gifted with gold. It's the same these days, actually; this tradition hasn't changed much since then. Parents-in-law might bring up to one kilo of gold to a new bride. My story goes like this: I'm a new daughter-in-law, and I lost the gold gifted by my parents-in-law. Shortly after, we had some issues with electricity and asked Rifata, an electrician from another village, to help us fix it. While he was fixing the electricity, he entered my room and saw the jewelry box with gold inside. He took this gold, brought it to my mother-in-law, and asked her to keep it. He was curious if I would ever ask for it or figure out that it was gone. The very next day, we were going somewhere, and my mother-in-law asked me to wear gold. I told her, "Why would I need the gold just for going out shortly?" Apparently, she insisted since she wanted me to check on gold. I went into my room, opened the box, and it was gone! I got so nervous, thinking, where could all this gold have gone? I checked everything, my wardrobe, but couldn't find anything. I went back to my mother-in-law and told her that I didn't want to wear gold. She answered that if she wanted me to wear the gold, I should have listened to her. Well, I started crying and told her that the gold was not there anymore. I couldn't take it anymore and went to the water crying without stopping, asking God to help me find the gold, and I could do anything for it. My mother-in-law came to me and calmed me down, telling me not to cry anymore. She said the most important thing is life, not gold. Meanwhile, Rifata was passing by, she gazed at us from the window, and asked me how I was doing. I answered that I was fine. He said I looked pale and asked if everything was alright. My mother-in-law looked at him and started laughing, and I thought they might have arranged this trick for me, as they both looked quite ironic. I returned to my mother-in-law and asked her if she
had my gold. She answered that I wasn't using it anyway, so why would I need it? I was lucky since there was a nice man who didn't take it; otherwise, somebody else would have stolen it from me. I got so happy and emotional, started hugging her. Meanwhile, Rifata joined us at home and asked me to make coffee with a big mug. I told them, thank God, that they arranged this joke; otherwise, I would have ended my life. Who knows, if I could have lost such an amount of gold, how could I take care of my family and handle all the responsibilities. Well, this was the story, and many other jokes might happen, when you are a new daughter-in-law.” Tamar, Ghorjomi valley, 2023.
"When I was a newly married daughter-in-law, there were rules on how I was supposed to behave. As a daughter-in-law, I was expected to rise very early, at sunrise, and start the fire while warming up the water for my mother-in-law. I also had to bring the bowl for Wudu (the Islamic procedure for cleansing parts of the body before prayer) and complete all these tasks before my mother-in-law woke up. I remember my granny always saying that I should wake up early, tend to the fire, and open the door, so people would see that I was awake. Afterward, I could go back to sleep if I felt sleepy. Personally, I only adhered to this tradition three times in my life when I was a new daughterin-law. This was likely because my husband might have asked me to do so, being aware of the tradition. However, when I woke up for the third time to perform the procedure, my mother-in-law told me that there was no need for me to wake up that early, as I was still a little kid, and she could handle those tasks by herself.” Natia, Ghorjomi valley, 2023
"I had a very enjoyable childhood, constantly exploring our mountains, where many kids gathered. We used to make fires, roast veggies, especially potatoes, and experiment with creating new food recipes. At that time, riding a bicycle, which was somewhat unusual for a girl, was one of the reasons I was often called a boy, but isn't that supposed to be common? I received a lot of support and help from my family, even regarding wearing trousers. The topic of 'You should always wear dresses' was never a discussion at home. I always wear whatever feels comfortable. Sometimes, I realize that if I go out in a crop top and ripped jeans, people might look a bit awkwardly, but that's the way I feel comfortable, and I don't care that much. When my mom's friends are around, and I wear my ripped jeans, they might joke, 'Eka, would you like us to sew the jeans for you?' In the beginning, I was upset about it and engaged in discussions, but now I take it easy; perhaps it's just their way of expressing irony and making jokes. For me, wearing these clothes is also a way of expressing protest, I guess. I know it's Ghorjomi, and people might gossip if I wear such clothes, but I think it's necessary, not only for me but for the girls around me as well. Sometimes, all these actions are associated with 'Christianity' or 'Georgianity,' as the old generations might have expressed. The so-called 'transformation' (a term specific to Adjara) means that you were a typical girl, wearing dresses and having long hair, and now you have radically changed, not looking like yourself anymore. Once, while writing a thesis about women's rights, a couple of local women were around. So, I started talking about equal rights, gender equality, and such. Suddenly, a couple of women told me that it wasn't possible, that the man was the head of the family and had more rights to decide, as women wouldn't be able to make decisions and solve problems. To be honest, I don't understand how they can accept such a life and why?
I have heard many times from my surroundings that these women wanted to study, but they couldn't because of marriages. Now, at 16 years old, if I can imagine my parents deciding to arrange a marriage for me, how could I stay in that family or in my family anymore? I would leave both places immediately. How can you adapt to such a fate when you don't have any influence on your life anymore? Parents can give advice, and I always listen to their advice, but if they were to force me, I would never obey. We, as young people, always think about leaving the village to study. I love studying, and I have great teachers here. But we don't have many opportunities here in Ghorjomi to cheer each other on and stay in the village. I would love for us, the kids, to have a reading club in the village, which would be a great space to mobilize, meet, run activities, and exchange knowledge.” Eka Tsetkhladze, Ghorjomi valley 2023.
"I graduated from the Physics and Mathematics faculty in 1980, and in the same year, I started working as a maths teacher in Ghorjomi village. From 1994 to 2011, I served as the principal of the same school. When I began my career at the school, girls attended classes, but many were engaged at very early ages and would leave school after the 9th grade. Only a few girls managed to graduate, and enrolling in university wasn't even considered. This trend continued for 10-15 years. All these time, we had been encouraging discussions and putting efforts with parents to change the situation. In 1997, one girl successfully graduated from the school, and she happened to be my daughter. She went on to pursue higher education at Batumi State University in the medical faculty, got married, and is now a renowned doctor. This served as a positive example for both the girls at the school and their parents. Nowadays, there have been significant improvements in Ghorjomi in this regard. Girls from our valley are just as capable as anyone else. If someone thinks otherwise, I would recommend visiting and seeing for themselves.`` Makvala Iremadze, Ghorjomi valley 2023
Ghorjomi, summer 2023 The research had been conducted under the frameworks of Magic Carpets Artist in Residency