Description
After adoption of law on Protection against Domestic Violence in 2011 the real situation of this latent crime was revealed and specialized support centers for victims of DV/GBV were established in numerous regions of Lithuania. Nevertheless there are some quite large regions were these centers are absent while victims of DV/GBV are encouraged to approach centers far from their place of living. Moreover, children witnessing DV have in fact no chance of receiving immediate and comprehensive support. Project is aimed at increasing social support services for victims of DV/GBV and human trafficking in Trakai, Varena, Salcinininkai and Vilnius district municipalities. Project promoter shall practically implement the integrated model of support for children and their families as well as victims of human trafficking and DV/GBV. Successful provision of services shall be backed with trainings of professionals working with victims of DV/GBV and human trafficking. In addition, preventive and educative work shall be performed in order to break the stereotypes about vulnerable groups. Target groups: victims of DV/GBV, children at risk and their families, NGOs.
Summary of project results
After the adoption of law on protection against domestic violence in 2011, specialized care centres where established accross the country and Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour together with municipal authorities implement several programs to prevent violence against children and women, as well as to support victims of domestic violence. However, specialized care centres are established mostly in center towns of municipalities and rarely in remote and sparsly inhabited villages. Therefore the access to social services are not always guaranteed or the users of those services have to travel to centres of municipalities by themselves what is sometimes difficult or imposible to do. Few regions like Šalčininkai, Trakai and Varėna are among those underdeveloped and in need of more social services at place. Vilnius Archdiocese Caritas is operating Vilnius and the abovementioned regions also belong the area served by this NGO, therefore it was decided to focus the expansion of the most needed service specifically to those regions. Key problem addressed: lack of assistance and support services for victims of violence and human trafficking in Varėna, Šalčininkai and Trakai regions. Project goal: increased welfare of project’s target group – victims of human trafficking and domestic violence, children at-risk and their families, expecting mothers and (or) mothers raising pre-school children in Trakai, Varėna, Šalčinininkai and Vilnius Region Municipalities. Project promoter has completed the following tasks and achieved the respective results: a) developed and tested an integrated assistance service to the victims of human trafficking and domestic violence, children at-risk and their families, expecting mothers and (or) mothers raising pre-school children. Integrated assistance services provided for 177 persons; b) raised professional capacity of experts, who provide integrated assistance services to the victims of human trafficking and domestic violence, children at-risk and their families (15 experts trained); c) strengthened interinstitutional networking between actors, responsible for violence prevention and provision of integrated assistance to victims of violence in Trakai, Varėna, Šalčinininkai, Vilnius city and Vilnius region Municipalities. d) increased awareness of the general public and promoted a change of public opinion towards violence and human trafficking and the assistance services provided to the victims.
Summary of bilateral results