Astghik Injeyan (Yerevan)- Gender based violence (GBV) is a major human rights threat and a public health problem throughout the world. This type of violence is frequently invisible since it happens behind closed doors. Moreover, legal systems and cultural norms often do not treat it as a crime, but rather as a "private" family matter or a normal part of life. GBV is found in every country of the world reflecting women's subordinate status in society. Usually GBV victims do not say that they have been violated, because they are afraid of their husbands, they don’t trust those trying to help and live permanently in stress. These factors difficult establishing relations with the victims in order to help them.
The perception among Armenian population of the gender based violence and society’s stereotypes is quite troubling. Up to 22% of Armenian women and about one third of men agree that certain reasons justify a husband beating his wife*. Both women and men with higher education are less likely to justify gender based violence, as are women and men who are employed for cash.
About 250 women and girls - victims of domestic violence living under the permanent stress of gender based violence- have been trained by the Consortium of three local organisations led by International Center for Human Development (ICHD). The organizers have targeted a variety of risk groups ranging from orphanages, care centres, hostels for poor families to the patients of surgical, neurosurgical, traumatological and gynaecologic clinics.
Integral attention
Integral attention
Special attention was paid to confidence building among the victims. Women and girls have also been trained in individual protection to ensure their physical security. They have been particularly informed about the use and availability of psychological counseling for GBV victims. Free individual professional counseling has been provided to these women.
Fifty seven victims of the GBV (all women) requiered psychological counseling and practical other aid. They have been offered a comprehensive assistance, ranging from financial support to medical attention, legal and vocational orientation, child care and other free services using the resources of the consortium members and their partners. Through these trainings these women and girls attained relevant jobs, social security, as well as restored their self-confidence. All this helped them fully reintegrate into society.
The initiative of the Consortium partners has both mitigated the negative impact of the violence and addressed the very roots of the domestic violence in each particular case, helping women to live their lives in a violence-free environment.
Image: A poster from Women's Aid campaign against domestic abuse.
Image: A poster from Women's Aid campaign against domestic abuse.
* Demographic and Health Survey/DHS Armenia, 2005, provides latest and comparatively credible data on this matter)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment