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Description
Annual Office for Foreigners reports say that in recent decades, it is mainly families with children that have sought international protection, primarily from the North Caucasus (mainly Chechnya) and Central Asia (for instance Tajikistan). The cultures of these foreigners are highly patriarchal. Researchers say that mental abuse may occur in 90% of North Caucasus families, and also physical violence in half of them. A qualitative study conducted by our team for the UNHCR in eight facilities for asylum seekers produced similar findings - the main conclusion was that abuse by husbands and family is common and normalized, and there is a complete lack of understanding of police procedures in this respect.This project addresses the problem of widespread violence towards women in families seeking protection.We will organize briefings in ten facilities and gather information on women’s needs. A group of 60 women in facilities and the vicinity will receive one-on-one (remote) coaching for two months. We will select ten female leaders and organize workshops (empowerment, individual standing in relationships with services, networking) and a one-week training camp at which they will gain the relevant legal knowledge on gender-based violence and prevention, and improve competencies (WenDo assertiveness and self-defence, self-care, relaxation, training techniques). They will prepare simple workshops and conduct them in their communities, assisted by a female trainer. We will conclude the project with a summarizing conference.8-10 female refugee leaders will be selected and trained and given agency capacity and new instruments for dealing with their own trauma and supporting other women, and expressing their own views about their communities’ problems.63 refugee women will participate.
Summary of project results
The project responds to the problem of gender-based violence against refugee women in Poland. According to the annual reports of the Office for Foreigners, in the years prior to the project, families with children, mainly from the North Caucasus (Chechnya) and Central Asia (Tajikistan), predominated among those seeking international protection. These families often have patriarchal models in which psychological, economic and physical violence against women and children occurs. The promoter''s survey of reception centres came to similar conclusions. Unfortunately, violence against women is a widespread phenomenon and the level of knowledge about women''s rights and police procedures is very low.
The project identified 11 women leaders - refugee and migrant women from Chechnya, Georgia, Belarus and Ukraine - who were willing to provide anti-violence education and support to refugee women experiencing violence. Three networking meetings were organised, followed by a multi-day training camp where participants took part in WenDo self-defence and assertiveness training for women, art therapy classes, the Blue Card law and procedures (for cases of domestic violence), stress management workshops and yoga classes. The leaders also prepared trainings for women from their local communities and consulted with an expert during the camp. A total of seven training sessions were held by project participants - in Łomża, Dębak, Białystok, Linin, Chełm and Czerwony Bór. The workshops provided information about different forms of violence and how to get support, as well as training in the basics of self-defence. Project participants also took part in a final conference and individual coaching sessions.
The project identified and empowered 11 women leaders from the refugee community. They increased their knowledge of gender-based violence prevention and education. The trained leaders ran short pilot courses in their communities for other women exposed to violence - a total of 49 people. As a result, other refugee women became more aware of the problem of violence and where to go for support.