On December 10, 2020, Ekaterine Skhiladze, Deputy Public Defender of Georgia, took part in the opening of the "Start to Talk" campaign against sexual harassment and abuse of children in sports.

In her speech, the Deputy Public Defender spoke about the challenges in the field of child abuse in Georgia, including the prevention and detection of sexual harassment, protection of and assistance to victims of sexual violence. She stressed the importance of similar campaigns for breaking taboos, sharing experiences and knowledge, changing attitudes and timely and effectively responding to abuse of children in sports.

"The above-mentioned commitment has already been undertaken by Georgia within the framework of international agreements. In particular, the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse obliges States to take the necessary legislative or other measures to raise awareness of the protection of children and their rights among persons who have regular contact with children, including in sports“, the Deputy Public Defender said, adding that along with the campaign, it was important to develop codes of ethics and conduct and to refine existing regulations, as well as to introduce risk assessment mechanisms and develop reporting procedures to enable children to enjoy the high standard of protection and assistance.

“Start to Talk” campaign is being implemented by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Georgia on the initiative and with the assistance of the Council of Europe.