Safe Woman's House – experiences from bilateral cooperation The non-profit organization Centrum Slniečko provides general welfare services to abused, exploited, and neglected children, victims of domestic violence, victims of bullying, sexual assault, and rape, and contributes to an effective and comprehensive response to this issue in terms of ensuring and protecting basic human rights and freedoms.
The unique project titled: “Safe Woman's Home – a space for a full life without violence” is a “shelter” for women, mothers with children, who experience violence in domestic and intimate relationships. Centrum Slniečko, n.o. implements the project within the SK09 programme – Domestic and Gender-based Violence: “Home must be a safe place for everyone,” which is financed by a grant from the Kingdom of Norway through the Norwegian Financial Mechanism and co-financed by the Slovak Republic state budget (NFP – 331 298 Eur, www.eeagrants.sk, www.norwaygrants.sk), as well as by additional funding sources from private and corporate donors.
Services in the facility
The project goal was to establish a new safe house that meets minimum European standards for safe housing for women, mothers with children, and victims of partner, gender-based violence, which was successfully operated in August 2015. The project created 6 family places (15–17 spaces for mothers with children), each family place with its own sanitary facilities, shared kitchen and pantry, a common living room/playroom, and offices for experts who ensure the running of the facility. The facility operates continuously in a non-stop mode with its own crisis hotline 0905 511 512 from 8.00 to 18.00 and is also linked to the National Hotline for Women Experiencing Violence.
The newly established Safe Woman's Home (an emergency housing facility under Act No. 448/2008 Z.z. on social services) is one of four pilot facilities operating in Slovakia. Unfortunately, this type of social service—the Safe Woman's Home—still lacks a legal basis in Slovak legislation and the related adequate financing to cover operational expenditures. According to the Council of Europe, operation of this type of facility requires meeting minimum standards defined by the Council of Europe, and these require a much broader range of professional and support activities in a Safe Woman's Home than in an Emergency Housing Facility. Clients are provided with comprehensive services – accommodation, crisis support, social, psychological, legal, and educational counseling – based on the principle of strengthening victim rights with respect to democratic principles and equal opportunities.
The wider public was informed throughout project implementation about domestic and gender-based violence and forms of help for victims of violence via the website (www.centrumslniecko.sk/o-nas/prebiehajuce-projekty/bzd-opis-projektu/), where information was posted on implementation of activities benefiting victims of domestic violence, as well as on a campaign we carried out with secondary schools across the Nitra Self-Governing Region. In this way, we also influenced the elimination of social prejudices and stereotypes related to the position of women in society.
Bilateral cooperation with international partners
Within the project, Centrum Slniečko, n.o. has established bilateral cooperation with partners from Norway: Stifelsen Oslo Krisesenter (contact person Olaug RØNNINGSDALEN – deputy director) and Glåmdal Krisesenter IKS – Kongsvinger (contact person Halvor Ravn HØLOEYEN). The subject of the partnership cooperation with crisis centres in Norway is the implementation of professional meetings, workshops, expanding overview and knowledge (methods, techniques, and forms of work with target groups, work methodology), exchange of experiences and know-how about practice in the conditions in Slovakia and in the partners’ conditions, and last but not least, strengthening bilateral relations.
From the beginning of project implementation, we regularly communicated with the partners, planned and prepared activities in which facilities from Norway actively participated. One of the key activities was the international conference “Aj z násilia vedie bezpečná cesta,” held in Nitra on 27.-28.10.2015; the conference partner was Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. The conference focused on domestic and gender-based violence. The patronage of the conference was taken by the Norwegian ambassador J. E. Inga Magistad. Norwegian partners from Oslo and Kongsvinger presented their facilities and client work systems. Thanks to an open bilateral fund for the conference, another 25 Norwegians from Bufetat Oslo arrived, and the team leader had active input at the conference on their system of psychological services for individuals, couples, and families. The first day of the conference had theoretical and professional presentations; the next day was practical through workshops. The partners led a workshop focused on: What do clients need after leaving the crisis centre?
Study trip to Norway
The study trip to Norway fulfilled expectations, enriched us with new information, ideas, materials, methodologies, and inspired our future work. We had the opportunity to meet experts whose professional approach is a source of support and motivation for positive change in clients’ lives. In Norway, municipalities fully fund crisis centres that provide counseling, intervention, and therapy. NGOs also operate in Norway, but state institutions mainly carry the primary role. In our system, it is mainly non-profit organizations that work with target groups according to each organization’s specialization.
During the study trip, we visited facilities in Oslo and Kongsvinger. The partner from Oslo guided us through individual institutions to introduce their social care system for the target group.
The visit to LDO – Ombudsperson's Office, an independent agency operating “in opposition to the government,” where work is non-partisan and results are not influenced by the government, can submit motions and criticize government actions. They deal with human rights, the rights of vulnerable groups; the office monitors and controls compliance with declarations and documents in the fields of human rights, human dignity, and non-discrimination, and follows international documents. In the context of violence against women, the Ombudsperson’s Office initiated the creation of a specialized unit within the police focused on prevention, risk families, and situations. At present, there is a group at the police that examines violent incidents—what happened, how it happened—and conducts case investigations. Its agenda also covers gender issues, gender equality, equality for people of diverse orientations, and migrants. Gender equality is also understood in terms of strengthening men’s care for family and children. In Norwegian legislation, it is codified that a man must personally care for his child (at least for 3 months in the first year) in cases where a family seeks state support. This was enforced in law also for historical reasons: in the past, most Norwegian men worked at sea and were away from the family for long periods, while women handled childcare. The advantage is that a woman can enter employment while maintaining equal status with men and women.
The Ombudsperson’s Office also handles individual complaints and can address workplace attacks and harassment. It monitors international documents and reports to the international community on compliance with rights and rights-protected freedoms. If a child is a witness to violence, the child has the right to be a witness in proceedings, but with enhanced emphasis on safety. Its role also includes influencing politicians so that methods specific to work with women and children are applied. The office also evaluates government activity, assessing how the government fulfils individual tasks, and through reports conducts research. It informs the general public about results, carries out campaigns, and provides advisory services to employers on questions of gender equality. In the case of addressing violence situations, the court has two independent reports: one from the police and the second from the LDO.
Institution Krisesentersekretariatet oversees crisis centres (shelters) in Norway. It provides shelters with support and counseling, advocates for their rights and therefore for the rights of women, men, and children who have experienced violence. It runs national campaigns, addresses and works with prejudices, myths, and stereotypes in society. In Slovakia there is an Association of Crisis Centres, which is gradually starting its activities. The Norwegian organization could be a model for us; the materials obtained may support shaping and future advocacy engagement of the Association in support of crisis centres.
Oslo Krisesenter – the system and professional approach of staff, methodologies on which they work with women, men, and children, with victims of violence, its long tradition and multicultural staff environment are for us a motivation to incorporate some methods and techniques (including guidance for work with clients from a different cultural background). At the shelter facility, only social workers work; psychological help and support are provided through Bufetat counseling centre, with which they cooperate in close cooperation.
Kongsvinger – Shelter showed us how a facility can operate where services are provided to women and men (victims of violence) under one roof. Joint, regular communities and meetings help in processing trauma and pain. By sharing emotions and experiences, participants gain perspective, strengthen themselves, and reclaim responsibility for and self-determination in life.
Facility for Youth Refugees – Kirkenær – the facility director guided us through an institution established about 5 years ago. The staff is multi-ethnic and cares for children and youth who have left their country, sent by parents in search of a better future. The adolescents (mostly boys) are highly motivated for education; after a six-month stay they move to foster families, complete secondary and higher education, find employment, and support their families in their country of origin.
Kvinnemuseet Kongsvinger – an exceptional experience was to be in close contact with the role and identity of women. The environment and separate sections of the museum are arranged to make women and women’s needs visible. At the entrance, we were greeted by a world map showing the year women’s voting rights were introduced in elections. Unfortunately, the flags on the map do not reflect reality, because women’s suffrage and its actual implementation differ in some countries. The museum provides reflection on how the world changes, for example through the world of toys (in the past, a horse-shaped toy was dominant for boys; today it appears in girls’ games such as My little Pony). It also shows the portrayal of women in computer games: girls and women are depicted as super fighters with weapons, seemingly taking on men’s places and positions (in the past, the man was the protector, the conqueror). At the end of the museum visit, we were advised to try to establish such a museum in our country. We believe that a similar museum would be valuable for our country, as it would present the position of women in society from history to the present.
Conclusion
Centrum Slniečko, n.o. is one of the members of the Coalition for Children, whose aim is to promote, defend, and realise the rights, needs, and interests of children in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Through this route, we will interpret and share the experiences gained from bilateral cooperation and seek to advocate on behalf of women and children.
Violence in society remains a current topic of discussion that concerns all of us. In society, myths and stereotypes related to violence contribute to tolerance of aggression and violence. The cause of violence against women is linked to unequal status between women and men in society. The solution is primary prevention—that is, preventing violence, education, and preventive programs from preschool age onward, informing about causes and consequences, shaping public opinion and attitudes also through the media, which should report sensitively and present “stories” on violence, abuse, and thereby positively affect the reduction of tolerance of any form of violence in society.
Authors: Martina Ferri, PaedDr., PhD., Mgr. Mariana Kováčová, Olaug RØNNINGSDALEN, Halvor Ravn HØLOEYEN