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From Our Own Correspondent: Protests in Georgia

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18/03/2023 GMT

Protests in Georgia

BBC World Service - From Our Own Correspondent, Protests in Georgia

Georgians express anger over a draft law which many see as a sign of Russian influence.

Protests in Georgia against a Russian-style law; South Africa's electricity woes; the hazards of being a reporter in Egypt, and female under-representation in Japanese politics.

Pascale Harter introduces stories from Georgia, South Africa, Egypt, and Japan.

In Tbilisi, tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest a draft law, which many saw as an attack on press freedom and civil society. The law would require media and non-governmental organisations receiving more than 20 per cent of their funding from outside Georgia to register as a 'foreign agent'. Critics say a similar law in Russia has been used to stifle dissent, and the fact this new law was proposed in Georgia is a sign of Russian influence. But most Georgians want to see their country build closer ties with the European Union, says Rayhan Demytrie.

In South Africa, years of power cuts have seen South Africa's once celebrated national power company become the butt of jokes. But the daily outages are hitting the country's already struggling economy. Ed Habershon reveals how people adapt when the traffic lights stop working.

Egypt has seen a far-reaching campaign against dissidents, which has now extended to those living overseas. And although Egyptian authorities claim to tolerate foreign journalists, they are often subjected to arbitrary restrictions - as Edmund Bower discovered on a reporting assignment in the southern city of Aswan.

Japan struggles with diversity and female representation in both its commercial and political spheres. Shaimaa Khalil met the first female mayor of one of Tokyo’s largest districts and hears how she is trying to break through the barriers of tradition to ensure women are seen and heard.

Producer: Louise Hidalgo
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

(Photo by David Mdzinarishvili/ Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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