Description
There is a need to increase public awareness on the consequences of domestic violence in Romania, where violent behaviour in the family is still often treated with understanding. The objective of the project is to prevent domestic violence, promote gender equality and combat gender stereotypes, as well as sexual discrimination in the family context by organising and running a national awareness campaign, sensitizing and increasing consciousness on domestic and gender-based violence. The project envisages increasing the level of information, sensitivity and public awareness on the rights conferred by the law, as well as on the attributions of the institutions responsible in preventing and combating domestic violence phenomenon, gender-based and gender equality violence; increasing awareness of the professionals in the field about their competencies to prevent domestic violence, promote gender equality in the family context and regarding the support to victims of domestic and gender-based violence, determining them to be more active in fulfilling their responsibilities; and raising awareness and involving politicians and media in promoting gender equality, preventing and combating domestic and the gender-based violence. The target group of the project is the Romanian population, which will be informed and sensitized about the attitudes and non-violent behavior, the need to reduce gender inequalities and the phenomenon of domestic violence, focusing on raising awareness amongst politicians, journalists and professionals in the field.
Summary of project results
The studies undertaken at the national level revealed not only the tendency of increasing in the number of domestic violence incidents, but also in the severity of its manifestation. One of the findings of the previous campaigns implemented at the level of the Ministry of Labor was that DV mainly originated in the national overly permissive mentality towards DV. The conclusion was that more consistent campaigns to the purpose of making the population aware about the serious consequences of DV should be continued. As a result, the project was elaborated having as objective the prevention of DV, promotion of gender equality, combating of gender stereotypes and gender discrimination by means of conducting a national information awareness-raising campaign targeting DV. The strategy for achieving the main objective implied a tri-dimensional approach: 1. Increasing the level of information, sensitivity and public awareness on the rights of the citizens conferred by the law, as well as on the attributions of the institutions responsible in preventing and combating DGV; 2. Increasing awareness of the professionals about the role they have in preventing and fighting DV, as well as in providing support to the victims of DV; 3. Raising awareness and involving politicians and media in promoting gender equality, as well as in preventing and combating DGV. To this end, the following activities have been implemented and outputs - achieved: - A nationwide survey measuring the level of awareness of the population about the existence of a specific law regarding DV was conducted; the survey revealed that 78% of the population have knowledge about the existence of a law in force in Romania compared to the Programme indicator set to 75%; - One media campaign against DV and gender-based discrimination conducted during which 1 TV spot and 1 radio spot were broadcasted (1796, respectively 1515 times); 5 TV and radio debates on DGV were organized and broadcasted; moreover, a significant number of information materials were provided to the institutions involved in preventing and fighting DV with the purpose of further dissemination to the potentially interested persons in receiving support; - 8 regional round tables organized, attended by 200 professionals working within public institutions with responsibilities in the field. The scope of the meetings was increasing the effectiveness in inter-institutional cooperation and exchanging best practices in dealing with DV cases.
Summary of bilateral results