Alumni Highlights - Esma Gumberidze

See Esma Gumberidze’s, FLEX alumna of 2013 success story:

Esma is curently UNDP Consultant on the participation of persons with disabilities, Founder and chairperson of the disabled women’s organization the Platform for New Opportunities, a member of the Consultative Council on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities with the Ombudsman’s office, Leadership Council member of the European Democracy Youth Network, co-founder of the global network of former UN Youth Delegates.

Upon graduating high school with honors, Esma Gumberidze obtained full state funding, with which she graduated from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University faculty of law again with honors. Esma was first non-EU citizen student with disabilities, who took on Erasmus Plus International Academic Exchange Credit Mobility program. She spent 2 semesters studying at the European University Viadrina (Germany) and Alexandru Ion Cuza University of Iasi (Romania). She has been in up to 20 countries through different projects and programs.

Esma is hosting an on-line radio show at the Radio My Voice of the Helping Hand. While at university Esma has volunteered for different youth organizations including GLOW and other camps organized by the U.S Peace Corps Volunteers as a councilor. She has been writing blogs and delivering public talks and workshops on the following topics: women’s rights, the rights of persons with disabilities, media literacy, project management, public speaking, labor rights, Georgian-Abkhaz relations, sustainable finance, civic activism.

She had written comments and recommendations on such reforms as the draft law of the rights of persons with disabilities, the national human rights action plan, the instrument of disability status determination.

In October 2019 Esma spoke at the 74th UN General Assembly, as Georgia’s Youth Representative to the United Nations. Upon completion of the mandate, Esma actively engaged in the establishment of the UN Youth delegate alumni network. She continues to mentor persons with disabilities and youths individually and collectively though on and off line informational and skills-building events.