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Description
Through illustration and creative writing activities, the (DES)AMOR project seeks to empower 30 women who have suffered from domestic and gender violence living in the municipality of São João da Pesqueira and/or surrounding localities. This includes a component to raise awareness among the general community regarding the problem of domestic and gender violence and the importance of identifying these cases and offering support.
Summary of project results
According to data from CIG, in 2019, security forces recorded approximately 29,400 reports of domestic violence crimes, with the vast majority of victims being female. The Victim Support Office in Vila Real district registered a total of 2,202 attendances to 244 victims of 627 crimes in 2019, with about 79% of these crimes related to domestic violence and around 78% of the victims being female. At the municipal level in São João da Pesqueira, domestic violence was one of the main issues identified and addressed by the Social Support and Assistance Service. Violence against women is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon that spans social classes, ages, and regions, often met with non-reaction and passivity from women, leading them to seek informal or conformist solutions. Many victims may not recognize their abuser''s behavior as violent, fear discrimination, hope the situation will resolve, fear the abuser''s reaction, or are economically or financially dependent on the abuser. Given this information and the identified issues in the municipality, it was crucial to act on two fronts: awareness-raising for victims, friends/family, and the general community to support victims in recognizing their situation and raising public awareness of this crime, and support actions providing psychological assistance to victims of such violence.
The project began on 01/06/2021. Two years later, all activities carried out within the project are identified and described. The project was promoted through materials like posters and leaflets placed in entities, meetings with these entities (CPCJ, CLDS, Health Center, parish councils, and participation in CLASSJP meetings), several radio spots on Rádio Voz do Douro, and digital awareness posters on social media.
Psychological coaching activities included attending and supporting women victims of domestic violence and other social emergencies, referring cases to other programs like CRI, POAPMC, legal medicine, and legal support requests.
Community and school awareness activities were conducted, including events on International Women''s Day, April 25th, Mother''s Day, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and Valentine''s Day. The project also produced a film, DESAMOR, involving creative workshops, scriptwriting, production, filming, and editing, with a total of 1000 viewers over three days.
Capacity-building activities included institutional needs assessment, training, and the development and implementation of various internal manuals and communication plan. The project also included a team-building activity and an external evaluation.
The final project conference was held on 15/06/2023.
In terms of results the project achieved significant community and school awareness, with initiatives in primary and vocational schools and community activities, many in partnership with NAVVD Viseu and other informal partners like CPCJ, vocational schools, and the Health Center. The film DESAMOR exceeded expectations in community involvement, with resources like houses, cafes, and farms provided for filming, voluntary participation in the cast, and engagement in events. The creative writing workshops and involvement of not only the women supported by the project but also other community members, including the elderly and youth, further promoted this engagement. The community awareness objective was successfully achieved, with a significant impact within the project''s geographic scope, prompting the population to reflect on domestic violence as a social issue.
The empowerment of domestic and gender-based violence victims was operationalized through psychological coaching, supporting their physical, psychological, and social rehabilitation. Although the project did not reach the target of 40 women, it made a difference in the lives of those supported, including men and the elderly in social emergencies. The support extended beyond psychological assistance to include help with victim status processes, legal issues, referrals to shelters, Integrated Response Centers, legal medicine, and food aid.
Innovative techniques like creative writing workshops, which formed the basis for the DESAMOR film scripts, promoted the empowerment of these women by sharing their experiences.
The objective of enhancing the capacity and quality of the promoting entity''s intervention was also achieved through institutional needs assessment, training, development, and implementation of management tools and documents, and team-building activities.
The project''s objectives were realized with the expected effects on the target audiences, recognized by both direct beneficiaries and the general community.