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Description
The aim of the project is to prevent sexual abuse of women and reduce gender based discrimination. We want to raise awareness of what sexual abuse is and how to react to it. As part of the project, we will provide free legal advice to women experiencing sexual abuse or gender discrimination in various aspects of life, e.g. at work, during education, or in case of access to services. We will conduct research to estimate the scale of the problem and find out what types of violations are most often experienced by women. We will organize workshops for members of the legal profession (advocates, legal advisers, legal trainees) and webinars addressed to a wide audience. We will prepare and make available the workshop scenarios. We will create a database of legal information concerning sexual abuse, and conduct a social campaign. While preparing the project, we used the European Parliamentary Research Service data (2020) showing that every second woman in Europe has experienced sexual abuse at least once since the age of 15, as well as data from the Ombudsman''s report (2018), which shows that 31.2% of female students have experienced sexual abuse. The problem also affects employment and has been recognized by international bodies. In 2014 the Committe on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women recommended that Poland should adopt a comprehensive strategy to prevent and eliminate violence against women in public and everyday life. Our partner in the project is the Women in Law Foundation.
Summary of project results
The project "Support for women who experience sexual harassment", which concerned counteracting sexual harassment, was a comprehensive project aimed at supporting people experiencing sexual harassment and other forms of gender discrimination, improving social awareness and providing quality information and educational materials. It was intended to be a response to the phenomenon of sexual harassment and relatively low knowledge among society.
As part of the described project, a number of activities were undertaken to support women experiencing sexual harassment and gender discrimination. Key activities and products produced included:
1. Legal advice: Legal advice was provided to over 100 women. A legal hotline has also been created and will continue to operate after the project ends.
2. Social campaigns: Two awareness campaigns were conducted, reaching over 1.5 million people. Famous people took part in the campaigns, such as prof. Adam Bodnar, prof. Monika Płatek and Aga Zaryan.
3. Educational and information materials: High-quality materials were prepared, including a report on research conducted by prof. Magdalena Grabowska and team. The research has provided new data on sexual harassment in a variety of contexts.
4. Training materials: A legal information database was developed (80 pages) containing provisions on equality, non-discrimination and judgments of courts and tribunals. These materials also contain findings from other reports on harassment and discrimination.
5. Workshop scenario: A workshop scenario was prepared for lawyers, focusing on supporting clients experiencing discrimination and on self-care and protection against professional burnout. Pilot workshops were conducted to increase communication skills and empathy in working with such clients.
6. Media promotion: The project was widely commented on in the media. Information about the project, its products and interviews with people involved appeared in the media at least 54 times.
The project increased access to legal support for women and public awareness of sexual harassment and discrimination, creating lasting support structures and providing valuable educational resources for legal professionals.
The project results were multidimensional and had a significant impact on society and the direct beneficiaries of the activities.
1. Legal support for women: Thanks to the project, legal support was provided to over 100 women experiencing sexual harassment and gender discrimination.
2. Increasing social awareness: Two social campaigns reached over 1.5 million recipients. The campaigns attracted the attention of a wide audience, raising awareness of the issues of sexual harassment and gender discrimination.
3. Education and research: High-quality educational and information materials have been created. Report on research conducted by prof. Magdalena Grabowska and her team provided new data on the phenomenon of sexual harassment in workplaces, services and education. This information is essential for the further development of preventive policies and actions. Important politicians and people influencing policy-making read the report.
4. Training for professionals: The training materials developed, including a legal information database and a workshop scenario, improved the competences of legal professionals in supporting people experiencing discrimination. Pilot workshops improved communication skills and empathy in working with clients.
5. Media visibility: The project was widely commented on in the media, appearing at least 54 times in various news outlets and traditional press. This raised the visibility of issues around sexual harassment and discrimination, as well as promoting the support available.
Overall, the project achieved significant results in terms of increasing access to legal support, raising public awareness and educating and training professionals. Support structures and extensive media and educational activities have contributed to understanding and counteracting sexual harassment and gender discrimination.