Mobilizers of Women Support Centers held information meetings in different communities. The meetings inform the population about the issues related to violence. Participants listen to information: what does the law on domestic violence envisage, whom to address in case of violence, what response mechanisms exist. They get acquainted to victim assistance services.
Meetings were held in Vani, Bagdati, Chokhatauri, Tsalenjikha, Tkibuli municipalities.
Specific cases of violence were identified at informational meetings. The response continues in accordance with the content of the cases, with the involvement of a psychologist and a lawyer of the Fund "Sukhumi".
- Who is the leader, what is civic activism, how does a leader differ from an activist? - An information meeting on these issues was held with members of Khoni Youth Initiative Group.
Participants also gave their own examples of how they are involved in civic activism: participating in planting trees in the school yard, cleaning the school grounds, providing humanitarian assistance to vulnerable families, feeding homeless animals ...
Young people know that leadership and civic activism are interrelated and contribute to the development of one another.
Two more meetings were held in women initiative groups. The members of the group took an active part in population’s needs assessment and listened to the results of the research with interest. One of the participants noted that the municipality does not have the luxury of conducting research and thanked the Fund "Sukhumi" for its work. The research will be submitted to the local self-government to take into account the recommendations developed.
The gender Council of Kobuleti municipality, organized a round table on "Prevention of violence and protection of violence victims, social cooperation and referencing" in partnership with the Fund "Sukhumi" and the participation of governmental structures and social institutions. The cases of violence against women and domestic violence were discussed. The guests invited by the Fund "Sukhumi" - representatives of Senaki municipality shared their experience with their colleagues from Kobuleti in the field of children’s rights protection.
The participants of the meeting analyzed the situation in terms of violence and identified the prospects for social cooperation.
The Fund “Sukhumi” conducted the round table in Samtredia municipality with participation of representatives of local referral entities. The meeting discussed issues of violence prevention and protection of victims, the situation in terms of violence and social cooperation. The attention was paid to the problem of domestic violence and the prospects for cooperation with local structures.
According to the meeting participants, joint activities can identify problems, as a result, the level of their solution and prevention will increase.
The biggest challenge was the attitude of society towards the problem of violence. The need for information and educational work and activation of the municipal gender council in this regard was highlighted.
Psycho-legal mechanisms for the response to violence cases, victim assistance services - informational meetings on these issues were held in Terjola, Samtredia, Kobuleti, Zugdidi and Senaki municipalities.
During the meetings with the representatives of different communities, the Fund "Sukhumi" also identifies the cases of violence. The response mechanisms are different: a consultation of psychologist and a lawyer is used. Authoritative parsons are involved in solution of conflict situation. These tools increase efficiency.
Information about the new website "Digital Resource Center of the Services for Violence Victims" http://gbvdigitalresourcecenter.ge/ was spread during the meetings. This page provides full information on victim support services.
Participants note that informing the population is important and will help prevent violence.
This is the new website of the Fund "Sukhumi" - "Digital resource center of the services for violence victims."
This platform contains the following information: services for violence victims, legislation, national referral mechanism, publications (reports and researches), mobile application and hotline numbers, answers to various questions, innovations.
The aim of the website is to improve accessibility to all types of services to protect the victims (survivors) of violence against women and domestic violence.
The website was created with the support of the Equality Fund (Canada) and currently works in a test mode.
On June 1, a meeting of the mobilizers from Kutaisi, Vani, Terjola, Bagdati, Tkibuli, Senaki, Chokhatauri, Kobuleti, Tsalenjikha, Zugdidi Women Support Centers was held. The participants of the meeting summarized the month's work: they exchanged information and talked about the difficulties they meet in the field in terms of identifying the problem of violence.
At the end of the meeting, the participants discussed the plan for the next month. Their suggestions are reflected in the working module, which will increase the efficiency of the work.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
In May, the psychologist received 56 phone calls from Kutaisi and from those regions where Women's Support Centers operate. It shows the alarming - traumatic stressful situation of people.
10 online and 8 offline individual psychotherapy are provided for the beneficiaries, 3 of them are teenagers.
During a month, the lawyer of the Fund "Sukhumi" also actively worked together with the psychologist. Online group meetings and consultations with beneficiaries and meetings with members of the crisis families were held.
Everyone is happy to note the importance of this support, which is free and often people get this service from the comfort of their homes.
The round table, which was held in Chokhatauri, was attended by the leaders of the municipality, members of the Gender Equality Council, representatives of the police, educational and medical institutions. They got acquainted with the document “Monitoring of Services for the Victims - Support Services for Victims of Domestic Violence and Existing Challenges” prepared by the Fund “Sukhumi”.
It was noted that the situation in the municipality in terms of cooperation of local referral entities is not bad. There are also budget programs, which gives possibility to see the victim's problems, respond to them, and help the victim in employment in the long - term prospect.
Insufficient response from the side of the society itself to the facts of violence was mentioned as the biggest challenge, and a serious need for information and educational work was highlighted. It was said that the experience of the Fund "Sukhumi" in this regard will be very useful for the municipality.
