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Description
According to police statistics, in 2019 more than 88 000 people were victims of violence, of whom more than 65 000 were women. According to Women''s Rights Center (Centrum Praw Kobiet) studies, between 400 and 500 women are killed in Poland each year through violence. Women subjected to violence from their partners are not seen and not heard publicly. The voices of women who extricate themselves from violent relationships are not heard by women who remain in such relationships, and therefore they are not inspired by examples of those who have survived. We have frequently encountered women who escape violence and state that they are willing and that there is a need to help others, to share experiences, educate, and change the system. The aim of the project is to help female victims of gender-related violence and include in these measures women who have managed to escape that violence. We will set up a support center for female victims of abusive relationships (psychological and legal aid). For women who have extricated themselves from abusive relationships to be able to become involved in helping others, and, more broadly, in the fight against the problem of abuse, we will invite them to attend training and psychological and legal workshops. On an internship, as volunteers, they will provide assistance with help from mentors (psychologist, lawyer). In addition, by way of our website they will be able to publicize the issue of abusive relationships and explain the complexity of experiencing abuse by working to prevent victims being victimized twice. During the entire project, we will encourage participants to take part in a public campaign and form their own initiatives, to make them become true self-advocates. In total, 58 people will be given psychological and legal assistance. 12 women will be given training and attend workshops. We expect 10 of them to join as volunteers at the online help center.
Summary of project results
The project addresses the problem of gender-based violence. According to police statistics, more than 65,000 women in Wrocław and Lower Silesia experienced violence in 2019. Unfortunately, this phenomenon has intensified during the pandemic. In addition, the socio-political context, including the announcement of the denunciation of the so-called anti-violence convention by the authorities, is not conducive to improving the situation of women. According to research by the Centre for Women''s Rights, between 400 and 500 women die at the hands of perpetrators every year. Women who have experienced partner violence, as well as those who have come out of violent relationships, are invisible and unheard in the public space. Advocacy in this area is now being done by women and experts fighting to change laws, procedures and destabilization of gender-based violence.
As part of the project, a group of 14 volunteers who had experienced domestic violence in the past were prepared for their role as self-advocates. The participants took part in several thematic workshops. They then carried out a social campaign against violence and set up a profile "Untangled from Violence" on social media. An important element of the project was the launch of an E-mail Help Point for women experiencing violence, where clients could receive both legal or psychological support and help from the volunteers themselves.
As a result of the project, 14 women with a history of domestic violence became involved in supporting other women with experience of violence. They improved their communication and social competences and learned how to intervene in crisis situations. They regained their agency and became involved with other women (the self-advocacy group continues to work together even after the project, engaging in helping women). In addition, 44 women also received psychological and legal assistance as part of the project. An important result of the project was also the combination of the offer of professionals (legal or psychological support) with the support of the self-advocates.