‘Courageous Little Hearts’: children’s book on gender equality published in Georgia

A fairy-tale book, Courageous Little Hearts: Tales of Hope and Kindness, which educates children about gender equality, has been published in Georgia with EU support.

The book features five tales written by authors from the Eastern Partner (EaP) countries. Armen Ohanyan (Armenia), Afsana Yusifova (Azerbaijan), Mindia Arabuli (Georgia), Paula Erizanu (Moldova), and Natalia Trokhym (Ukraine) have crafted stories that challenge traditional gender roles and address issues such as gender stereotypes, human rights, discrimination, positive parenting, and male engagement in childcare. 

The illustrations were created by artists also representing EaP countries: Harutyun Tumaghyan, Svetlana Parfeniuc, Sevinc Quliyeva, Mari Kakhurishvili, and Yevheniya Polosina. Khatia Chitorelidze designed the book and its cover.

The book was created as part of the “EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence” project, in collaboration with Georgian NGO Care Together. By harnessing the power of storytelling, this initiative seeks to foster a more equal and inclusive society in the Eastern Partnership.

“Modern times require modern stories. Modern heroines do not wait to be rescued by a prince, they are brave and determined and decide their own destinies. Modern heroes are, unlike all-too-well-known princes in high castles, empathetic and dreamy,” says Olga Osaulenko, regional project manager of EU 4 Gender Equality project. “This collection of stories offers a different look at the roles of women and men, girls and boys, and is one of the initiatives in the region that rethink the roles and behaviors society expects from us. We are proud that UN Women and UNFPA had an opportunity to support this important collection through the EU – funded joint project.”

Courageous Little Hearts is available printed in English, Georgian and as a mix of original texts in the authors’ native languages.

The book will be distributed free of charge throughout Georgia. Municipal libraries and public schools in Tbilisi have also received copies of the book, making it available to young readers.