Our Mission
“Our mission is to support and empower Georgian women in America, helping them navigate their journey by preserving our rich cultural heritage while overcoming barriers to gender equality. .”
We build connections across generations with innovative programs that blend traditional Georgian values with modern professional development, legal advocacy, and mental health support. By honoring the resilience of our mothers and empowering our daughters, we create a future where every Georgian woman can thrive while staying true to her identity..
our History
Established in 2021, the Georgian American Women’s Association (GAWA) was born out of the shared determination of immigrant women balancing dual identities. Our journey started with 12 trailblazing Georgian mothers who turned their Brooklyn living rooms into cultural hubs, hosting language circles and offering legal aid after their workday.
By 2022, these grassroots initiatives evolved into structured programs: • The Tamar Leadership Initiative (professional development through a Georgian perspective) • Alilo Mentorship (pairing newcomers with established professionals) • Didi Deda’s Kitchen (culinary entrepreneurship that preserves regional recipes) The 2023 launch of our Queens Cultural Hub marked a pivotal milestone, providing the first permanent space offering: ✓ Bilingual career counseling ✓ Trauma-informed support for survivors of the Soviet era ✓ A “Digital Sulkhan” archive of women’s oral histories Today, we honor our founders’ three core commitments: • Never forget our roots (cultural preservation) • Always lift as we rise (intergenerational support) • Build bridges, not walls (cross-cultural dialogue) From helping one woman obtain her first U.S. business license in 2021 to serving over 300 annually, GAWA’s legacy lives on in every grandmother teaching her granddaughter a folk song, every professional mentoring a newcomer, and every story preserved for future generations. “We’re not just remembering Georgia – we’re reimagining what Georgian women can achieve.” — First GAWA Charter, 2021.
