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Description
The project addresses the problem of gender-based violence and insufficient support for women who suffer abuse. Approximately one million women in Poland have suffered domestic violence, and more than 70 000 Blue Cards are created every year. This problem is part of the broader social and political context - the government does not take essential measures of any kind to prevent violence, and the government’s withdrawal from the Istanbul convention on violence against women has now become a reality. Although there are a number of CSOs active in Wrocław that help women who experience violence and provide for instance free legal aid, in terms of the scale of the problem, the help available is still insufficient. There are also no measures to raise public awareness of this issue.Under the project, the Project Promoter will provide free legal support for women who suffer violence (270 h). This legal support will include drafting pleadings, representing women in cases of harassment or discrimination at work, instigating criminal cases, and advising people who are arrested during protests. A public campaign will be conducted at the same time in which 25 articles will be written on women’s rights, three interviews will be held with experts, and ten spots and three webinars will be made.Legal advice will be provided for 135 women who suffer violence, while the campaign is intended for both women at risk of abuse and for society as a whole, including people who deal with abuse in their occupation (including people working in aid institutions or local government authorities) and journalists.A law firm will be a partner in the project and provide advice for people at risk of discrimination, exclusion, and abuse. The partner’s role will be to provide legal consultations and expert support for the campaign.
Summary of project results
The project responds to the problem of gender-based violence and the lack of sufficient support for women experiencing violence. Approximately 1 million women in Poland have experienced violence, and more than 70,000 Blue Cards are established every year. The problem is part of a broader socio-political context - the state authorities are not taking any meaningful action against violence, and the government''s denunciation of the so-called anti-violence convention has become real. Although there are several non-governmental organisations in Wrocław assisting women experiencing violence and providing free legal aid, the offer of assistance is still insufficient considering the scale of the phenomenon. There is also a lack of educational activities to raise public awareness in this area.
As part of the project, The Project Promoter in partnership with a law firm, provided free legal support to women experiencing violence. A total of 142 women benefited from this support. Support consisted of consultation, drafting of pleadings, representation of women in trials. The problems most frequently reported by female clients were economic violence, non-alimony, domestic violence. At the same time, a public awareness campaign was conducted, which included 35 articles on women''s rights, 6 interviews with experts, and 3 webinars and spots were prepared. Topics covered in the materials included violence against women during pandemonium, so-called ''rape culture'', misogyny towards women''s sport, the problem of incelism, gender stereotypes, the Blue Card procedure, psychological and legal aspects of leaving a situation of violence, violence against women with disabilities, the crime of rape.
Free legal aid was provided to 142 women, who received concrete support in leaving the situation of violence and gained knowledge about their rights and institutions that offer assistance. The Project Promoter’s offer supplemented the offer of the local system against gender violence and thus had a positive impact on the availability of support. Numerous expert materials are a valuable source of knowledge not only for women who need support, but also for professionals and local decision-makers, as well as for society in general.