Experience from bilateral cooperation with Norwegian experts on domestic violence It implements a number of projects, including: Crisis center for children and mothers with children - victims of domestic violence, Safe Women's Home for victims of gender-based violence, Shelter "Safe House", Intervention Center Slniečko, EduCan Prevention and Education Center, Counseling Center for victims of gender-based violence. Within the Nitra region, the non-profit organization Centrum Slniečko, n.o. in cooperation with several entities to create a comprehensive system of assistance and protection for abused, sexually abused children and victims of domestic violence. More at www.centrumslniecko.sk .
Experiences from Norway
Centrum Slniečko, n.o., as one of the organizations that received a grant from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism and the state budget for the creation of a safe women's home and counseling center for victims of gender-based violence that meet minimum European standards, used the opportunity to visit similar facilities in Norway as part of bilateral cooperation.
The aim of this study trip was to become familiar with the system of work in similar organizations in Norway, with the methods and techniques used for working with clients, financing of organizations in Norway, networking and, above all, with the aim of maintaining and strengthening already established bilateral and partnership relations with Norwegian organizations, as well as being inspired.
In the period from November 28, 2016 to December 2, 2016, four experts from the Slniečko Center, n.o. as part of a project implemented with a contribution from the bilateral fund within measure B of the SK 09 Domestic and gender-based violence program, several organizations in Norway that work with victims of domestic violence were visited. The project was financed from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism and from the Slovak state budget in the amount of €4,720.
Oslo Krisesenter
During the study trip, experts from the Slniečko Center in Norway visited the Oslo Krisesenter, which was also a project partner. The experts from Oslo Krisesenter presented a professional and systematic approach in helping victims of domestic violence through the counseling center to the possibility of securing protection and staying in a secret place. Together with the mothers, the children come to this facility, which is attended by pedagogues, special pedagogues, who help the children in the field of education, while they can stay in it for a maximum of 2 months. During and after departure, they receive information on how to deal with threatening situations, they receive all the necessary numbers and the organizations involved know about them. And where do they go after two months? They mostly sublease an apartment and find a job to take care of themselves and their children. The functioning of this specialized facility was in many ways similar to the facilities operated by Centrum Slniečko, n.o. to help victims of domestic violence. and which were also created with the support of the Kingdom of Norway. The biggest problem, from the point of view of our experts, currently appears to be the maintenance of the established system of counseling centers and safe women's homes in Slovakia, as they have no basis in the current law on social services. The support of safe women's homes after the end of funding from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism and the state budget, as well as many sponsorships, is not ensured in such a way as to maintain the minimum European standards, which include e.g. 24-hour professional operation, two professionals working with children, social, psychological and legal counseling, or provision of free services for victims of domestic violence. Crisis centers in Norway are fully supported by the state. Another problem seems to be where the victims of domestic violence can go after 2 months. Social housing is often not available, and the low income, even in cases where the victim finds a job, is not enough to rent an apartment. In the mentioned crisis center in Oslo, they provide help to both women and men, victims of domestic violence, both in counseling and residential services. Another point of interest is the program aimed at helping young women and men who escaped from families where violence was perpetrated against them in connection with forced marriage. It is part of the crisis center called Bokollektivet. Since these victims need more time and longer-term protection to resolve their situation, they can stay in the crisis center for 6-9 months. This program also includes the project "SAMMEN" (translated together), in which women who were victims of forced marriages and who were provided with help by this organization meet regularly, celebrate together Christmas, holidays, birthdays, etc. This project is an excellent example of subsequent work with clients, how to encourage them even after returning to "normal" life, how to show them that they belong somewhere and that there is someone who cares about them. In this context, it was interesting to learn about a type of violence such as "violence out of honor" (violence perpetrated mainly against women and men, which is intended to preserve the honor of the family; such violence includes acts such as extreme control, psychological pressure, threats, loss of freedom, abuse, forced marriage, murder).
For Senteret
Another center visited was Pro Senteret, which helps women and men who provide or have provided sex for money. This organization is fully funded by the central government and the city. In addition to legal and social assistance, they also offer medical assistance to clients, with general practitioners and gynecologists directly prescribing in the center. Services can be provided to clients anonymously. They also prefer the employment of foreign experts in the center due to a better understanding of other cultures, but also from the point of view of the language barrier. An interesting moment is that the organization for the complexity of the aid also employs a criminologist, an ethnographer and a sociologist, who are tasked with conveying a better understanding of the behavior of the various ethnic groups from which the center's clients come. A cultural mediator plays an important role in this activity. In addition to employees, volunteers, students and interns also help them.
The benefit of the study trip was also gaining a perspective on the issue of gender equality from a male perspective, which was obtained by professional workers in the last visited organization Reform Resource Center. This non-profit organization is subsidized from the state budget, helps exclusively men, boys in the areas of anger management, provides counseling for men working in the sex business, defends the interests of men in parliament, etc.
It follows the motto: "Gender equality needs men and men need gender equality". Its basic goals are to improve the position of men and fathers in society, to work with men as abusers and to identify men as victims of violence. It was interesting to experience that in this facility they work with men both as rapists and at the same time with male victims. The Norwegian legal and social system provides equal services for men and women. It is important for them to preserve and protect gender equality. This means that if a crisis center is created for victims of domestic violence, it must have accommodation for both women and men. The same applies to counseling centers.
Conclusion
The system of assistance to victims of violence is closely connected to a number of aspects related to the constitution, family law, criminal law, social institutions, police, doctors, educators, media, state social benefits and prevention. It is both in Slovakia and in Norway. In Norway, we encountered better connectivity and cooperation between individual components.
The study tour showed that we are on the right track in protecting victims of domestic violence. However, it is important that we, as the Slovak Republic, are able to maintain and develop what has been started in the area of protection of all target groups that have become victims of violence. It is important to incorporate specialized counseling centers and safe women's houses or crisis centers into the legislation so that we can operate them at the level of minimum European standards. It is not possible to operate these facilities only in the form of project support. We consider education in this area and the legislative setting of multidisciplinary cooperation to be very important, without which it is impossible to provide quality services and protection to those who do not know or cannot defend themselves. Ensuring safety, protection and assistance to the most vulnerable groups is an image of the quality and maturity of the society in which we live. And certainly most of us want to live where they can protect us and provide quality help and safety in the event of a serious crisis or threat to life.
Authors: PhDr. Zuzana Barická, JUDR. Sylvia Gancárová, Mgr. Marta Korgová, Mgr. Mária Nagy Maťová
"The activity is financed by Norwegian grants"/ "Supported by Norway Grants" "Co-financed by the State Budget of the Slovak Republic"/ "Co-financed by the State Budget of the Slovak Republic"