Supporting the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Romania

Description

The objective of this project is to improve the capacity of the Romanian authorities to implement the Istanbul Convention. The project responds to measures foreseen in the National Strategy for the Promotion of Equal Opportunities and Treatment for Women and Men and Prevention and Combating Domestic Violence for the period 2018-2021 and is in line with the UN Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development (Agenda 2030) and with the European Commission''s Strategic Engagement on Gender Equality 2016-2019.

The objective of the project is envisaged to be achieved by carrying out activities such as: conducting of a nation-wide survey on the prevalence of different forms of violence against women, evaluating the capacity of Romanian authorities to fully implement the national policy as regards combating domestic violence and violence against women, elaboration of working instruments and methodologies for the use of specialists in the field, followed by the training of specialists involved in preventing and fighting domestic violence and violence against women, including as regards the discrimination of Roma women and women with disabilities. As well, 10 centres for sexual violence victims and 8 counselling centres for perpetrators will be set up and a campaign for preventing domestic violence and violence against women will be conducted among the general population as well as the Roma population.

One special concern of the project is the improvement of the situation of the Roma population and of other vulnerable groups. Thus, specific activities are envisaged such as training for the specialists involved in preventing and fighting domestic violence in order to improve the effective access to social services for Roma and other vulnerable groups. 

Summary of project results

This project aimed at supporting the Romanian authorities to adopt a coordinated approach in addressing the challenges posed by the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in order to prevent and reduce the incidence and effects of domestic and gender-based violence in Romania.

Thus, the project focused on the strengthening the capacity of the authorities in the field of preventing and combating domestic violence and gender-based violence, by means of evaluating the national institutional set-up and the trends in the field of domestic violence, providing joint professional trainings and working tools (guides, methodologies etc.) to practitioners (including from the judicial system), setting up of counselling services for perpetrators, centres for the victims of sexual violence and last, but not least, by conducting campaigns for preventing domestic violence and violence against women. Actions undertaken targeted also the Roma ethnic victims; thus, with a view to rendering the effectiveness of the designed measures, the cultural specificities were considered.

Within Output 1 - Improved capacity of the Romanian authorities to support the victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic, the following activities were undertaken:

• A national study on the prevalence of different forms of violence against women was completed in March 2021;
• An evaluation of the capacity of the Romanian authorities to implement the policy in the field of domestic violence and gender-based violence was developed in December 2021;
• Trainings for app. 90 specialists from ANES and methodologically coordinated institutions were organized; a manual was also elaborated;
• 2 study visits in Oslo were organized (17-20 January and 13-16 February 2024) with two different groups of professionals working in social assistance, health system, police force had the opportunity to exchange good practice and learn from the Norwegian experience on tackling domestic and gender based violence.

Within Output 2 – Training provided on judiciary and law enforcement intervention methods, a training manual for judicial and law enforcement professionals was elaborated and disseminated during 10 training sessions attended by 250 prosecutors and police officers. Each training sessions included a special module focused on situations of domestic violence that affect Roma women.

Within output 3 – Specialized social services on domestic and gender-based violence supported, the following activities were undertaken:

• App. 3241 specialists at the local level were trained on standard intervention methodologies;
• A counselling manual for the professionals working in counselling services for perpetrators and a manual for the unitary functioning of the intervention centres for victims of sexual violence were elaborated;
• A set of standardized working tools, unitary methodologies and case management procedures for social services providers at the local level dealing with victims of domestic violence was elaborated;
• App. 277 social workers and professionals with responsibilities in the field of victim assistance, from public and private providers of social services for victims of domestic violence, were trained on combating discrimination against Roma victims.

Within Output 4 – Counselling services for perpetrators of domestic or gender-based violence established, the following activities were undertaken:

• 8 centers for counseling the perpetrators within the General Directorates of Social Assistance and Child Protection from Dolj, Constanța, Ialomița, Bacău, Sibiu, Giurgiu, Timiș and Bucharest counties - Sector 6 were set up in partnership with the local authorities and equipped with the necessary furniture, electronic equipment, office supplies and stationery. The centres have a long-term operating license, center coordinators and psychologists were hired for each of the 8 centers and 238 perpetrators were registered and attended counselling sessions; also, specialized evaluation tools to develop psychological profiles of the perpetrators enrolled in the counseling programs were purchased for the 8 counselling centres for perpetrators;
• 2 exchange best practices events on the management of centres for aggressors attended by representatives of public and private services for counselling aggressors in cases of domestic violence were organized on 9-10 March and 22-23 June 2023.

Within Output 5 – Victims of sexual violence supported, the following activities were undertaken:

• 10 intervention centres for sexual violence victims have been established in Bucharest (pilot centre inaugurated on May 10, 2021), Sibiu, Dolj, Constanta, Timis, Târgu Mureș, Ialomita, Bacau, Satu-Mare and Neamt; they are functional and fitted with medical equipment in order to provide the necessary intervention for the sexual violence victims, including 410 medical kits for the collection of biological samples; by 30th of March 2025, 77 persons registered for counselling and assistance to overcome the trauma of previous sexual assaults;
• A good practice exchange event for the members of the intervention teams in cases of sexual violence in collaboration with the Norwegian partners from the Secretariat of the Shelter Movement and also Salten Crisis Centre and Oslo Police District took place in Sinaia on 3-4 May 2023;
• On 5-7 June and 18-20 September 2023, two consulting sessions with national organizations (E-Romanja, AMI, IEESR, CMSC, Transcena, Anais, Front, ALEG, Plural) and international organizations (UNICEF and WHO) were hosted in Sinaia. These sessions aimed to identify the best intervention measures and additional actions to support victims of sexual violence.
• On 26 April 2024, a seminar was held to raise awareness about the need for a coordinated response from the Romanian health system to gender-based violence. The event was attended by 60 professionals from the Romanian health system, including hospital staff, forensic services, and health management institutions.

Within Output 6 – Awareness-raising campaigns on domestic and gender-based violence conducted, the following activities were undertaken:

• A national awareness raising campaign "Together we build a world without violence!" on gender equality and the negative effects of gender stereotypes, domestic violence caused by discrimination and gender-based violence was completed, reaching app. 10.100 young people and teachers from high schools and universities all around the country;
• Another national campaign to raise awareness of the negative effects of discrimination and to change the perspective of Romanian society on the issues of Roma women and girls entitled “The same dreams, the same chances”, targeting 20000 persons was implemented;
• About 400 professionals from institutions responsible for preventing and combating gender-based and domestic violence attended four regional events in Deva, Târgoviște, Iași, and Slatina. These professionals included representatives from police inspectorates, local authorities, public institutions, public and private social services, and medical services. The events promoted specialized services for preventing and combating domestic violence.

The project addressed the needs of the Romanian authorities in terms of improving their capacity to implement the Istanbul Convention, adopting a coordinated approach in addressing the challenges posed by the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in order to prevent and reduce the incidence and effects of domestic and gender-based violence in Romania.

As such, through the activities of the project, the professionals dealing with cases of domestic and gender based violence (social workers and professionals with responsibilities in the field of victim assistance, from public and private providers of social services for victims of domestic violence, judiciary and law enforcement) benefitted from trainings and were equipped with several working tools (manuals) in order to support their effort to offering the most appropriate assistance and intervention to the benefit of the victims; also, through the project, the prevention efforts were supported by setting up of dedicated counselling services, perpetrators benefitted of counselling services in view of avoiding relapses.

For the victims of sexual violence, the necessary framework for receiving emergency care and sampling of biological samples was created through the set up of 10 centres functioning in hospitals.

Nonetheless, by conducting national campaigns, information and raising awareness on changing gender violence and gender equality perspective and attitudes among pupils, students, educators and teachers, as well as among Roma minority was provided.

Last, but not least, the project also further contributed to the improvement of the situation of the Roma population, the specificities of the Roma ethnicity being considered and addressed in the materials created, as well as during the training sessions.

Summary of bilateral results

The project benefitted from the experience of the Norwegian Partners - the Secretariat of the Shelter Movement and St. Olavs University Hospital, department of Brøset Centre for Research and Education in Forensic Psychiatry (Brøset Hospital).As such, two training sessions for best practice exchange by professionals dealing with the victims of domestic violence were carried out by the Secretariat of Shelter Movement and were attended by 76 Romanian specialists. 114 psychologists and other specialists working with victims of domestic violence were trained on working with aggressors in domestic violence cases during three training sessions (online and with physical presence) delivered by Broset experts.26 Romanian and 16 Norwegian specialists exchanged best practice on providing social services to victims of DV in one study visit organised in Norway. Also, one training session (online and with physical presence) for good practice exchange for professionals dealing with intervention in sexual violence cases was carried out by the Secretariat of Shelter Movement and the Oslo Police District with the attendance of app. 148 Romanian specialists. The sharing of experience of best practices with the Norwegian partners in the field of domestic violence and violence against women on abovementioned domains (counselling of the perpetrators and services offered to victims) contributed to strengthening of the bilateral relations between Norway and Romania and further cooperation in the future is considered.