Description
The project is focused on the issue of domestic violence in migrant households. It deals with the specific needs of migrants facing domestic violence and also targets perpetrators of this violence. The project aims to reduce violence and minimize its impact. The project consists of three actions: a) analytical and conceptual work, b) direct work with a target group, c) preventive and supporting activities. Outputs of the project includes an analysis of asylum and migration laws incl. recommendations; provided legal and social assistance; workshop for assisting organizations; a practical manual with good practices for working with migrants facing domestic violence; and leaflets for migrants with information on what to do in the situation of domestic violence. The project will be coordinated by SIMI in cooperation with the Czech NGO Accorus and the Norwegian NGO Self help for migrants and refugees (SEIF).
Summary of project results
The I’m Not Going to Be a Victim! project implemented by the Association for Integration and Migration focused on domestic violence with a focus on migration: addressing the specific needs of female and male migrants who have been or are at risk of domestic violence. The aim was to eliminate this violence, minimise its consequences and raise awareness of it. The project involved analytical and conceptual work, direct work with the target group, and educational and awareness activities. In collaboration with our Norwegian partner SEIF Oslo we elaborated a comparative analysis of immigration and asylum legislation and practice with regard to the status of dependent people, including suggestions for individual solutions and systemic changes. We provided legal and social counselling to 46 female and male migrants in the Czech Republic. With our Czech partner Acorus, we organised an educational workshop for 12 support organisations, including a handbook of best practices for working with foreigners who are at risk of this violence. Thanks to leaflets in several languages we have raised awareness of how to proceed in emergencies among about 1,500 female and male migrants. With our advocacy and networking activities, hundreds of stakeholders have received key information, and the awareness of this issue has grown with at least 5,000 people from the general public. The greatest benefit of the project was the opening of a public debate on this topic, which had not been confronted until now, and strengthening the awareness of the community and establishing contacts for further cooperation.
Summary of bilateral results
The Norwegian partner in the project was a non-profit organization SEIF (Selvhjelp for Innvandrere og Flyktninger), which assists immigrants in Norway, providing them with help and assistance in many areas. The fundamental part of bilateral cooperation in the project consisted in the elaboration of an analysis of the legislation and practice related to the topic of the project, in which the SEIF worker Belinda de Leon described the situation in Norway. It revealed, from the email communication and two personal meetings with Ms. de Leon in Prague, that activities of SIMI and SEIF are similar, actual implementation of activities took place without problems and led to the desired result - a comparative analysis. Examples of good practice from Norway contained in the analysis will help SIMI advocating for necessary systemic changes or making suggestions for solving practical problems in the field of domestic violence with a migration component. The success of the cooperation with the Norwegian partner is confirmed by the fact that SEIF accepted an offer of cooperation in the framework of the Bilateral Cooperation Fund, which includes a study trip of Czech experts to Norway, further advocacy activities and use of recommendations from Norway to the implementation of a seminar in Prague on the topic of gender in migration. This cooperation in the future will help to establish new contacts with other relevant Norwegian stakeholders.