The Forms and Prohibition of Discrimination
Gender-equality compliance in Georgia rests on the Law of Georgia on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination. Under Article 2, any kind of discrimination is prohibited in Georgia. Direct discrimination is such treatment or the creation of conditions that places a person, in the enjoyment of the rights established by the legislation, in a less favourable position on the ground of a protected sign — including sex — compared with other persons in analogous conditions. Indirect discrimination is a situation where a provision, criterion or practice that is neutral in form but discriminatory in substance achieves the same result — for an organization this means that a rule formulated neutrally may still prove discriminatory.
The law separately defines harassment — persecution, coercion or unwanted conduct towards a person on any ground, which aims at or causes the violation of the person's dignity and the creation of an intimidating, hostile or degrading environment — and sexual harassment, covering any unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Discrimination on multiple grounds is likewise prohibited, as is any action aimed at coercing, instigating or instructing a person to discriminate against a third person. At the same time, discrimination does not include special temporary measures designed to encourage or achieve factual equality — particularly in matters of equality between women and men, pregnancy and maternity — and distinction based on the specific requirements of a particular job.