Alla Parunova

Alla Parunova
Born	Varketili, Tbilisi
Education	Tbilisi State University
Awards	Kato Mikeladze Award (2023)

Alla Parunova (Georgian: ალა პარუნოვა; born 1989 or 1990) is a Georgian feminist and queer activist.^[1]

Parunova received the Kato Mikeladze Award in 2023.^[1][2]

Activism

Parunova became interested in feminism while working at a library. She was particularly inspired by one book she read, Elfriede Jelinek's novel Women as Lovers, which kickstarted her feminist analysis of her life experiences. She then began a gender studies master's degree,^[3] during which she also realized how she was oppressed due to her queer and ethnic Armenian identities.^[1] Her master's thesis explored "dominant discourses on sexuality" during the Brezhnev Era of the Soviet Union.^[3]

Parunova became a member of the Georgian Young Greens in 2015,^[3] and remained a member for 6–7 years, during which she became involved with feminist^[4] and environmental activism.^[1]

Early and personal life

Parunova was born in Varketili, Tbilisi, where she was raised by an Armenian-speaking family. She then studied Georgian and later, Russian, in school. As a child, she felt isolated from Georgian society, and has spoken on her experiences of assimilation.^[1] She graduated from Tbilisi State University in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature.^[3]

Parunova speaks four languages. She identifies as queer, and described her sexuality as "inclusive, diverse, and...in the process of constant analysis".^[1]

References

1. ღოღობერიძე, ხატია (2023-12-31). "Alla Parunova: Us, Queers, Are Not a Group Torn Out of the Society, We Are a Part of It". Aprili Media (in Georgian). Retrieved 2024-07-13.
2. ფუტკარაძე, შოთა (2024-01-05). "Women's Fund in Georgia – Review of December, 2023". Aprili Media (in Georgian). Retrieved 2024-07-13.
3. "Alla Parunova | Feminism and Gender Democracy". feminism-boell.org. 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
4. "Reclaiming Georgia's Feminist Heritage". Civil Georgia. 2018-03-26. Retrieved 2024-07-13.