Gender-based violence is a complex phenomenon with deep roots in power imbalances between men and women, gender-role expectations, self-esteem and social institutions. Gender-based violence knows no geographical, cultural or ethnic barriers. It can occur in the context of conflict, during the migration journey, and in the host country, therefore migrant and ethnic minority women, female asylum seekers, refugees are particularly vulnerable group.
Often survivors of violence hesitate to report cases or seek for medical and psychological support. This is due to the lack of female interpreters and mediators at reception centres and the fact that survivors cannot access information about the matter. When trauma is unhealed it can have extremely profound effects correlated to physical and mental illness; learning disabilities; addictions; polarization of belief systems; racial, ethnic and religious intolerance and violence in individuals, in schools and communities, between groups and between nations.
After a preliminary analysis of the situation in Europe, consultations with experts and survivors, recognition of a need to support survivors of gender-based violence and to provide them safe spaces to confront the trauma and move forward, 8 experienced European organisations developed a BASE project that was approved by the European Commission Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014-2020).
The BASE project aims to contribute to improvement of support services for victims of violence by:
- empowering migrant/refugee women as cultural advisors that they could facilitate communication with girls affected by gender-based violence and their families;
- increasing the capacity of support professionals to understand sociocultural factors and communicate effectively with migrant/ refugee survivors of gender-based violence;
- raising public awareness on the vulnerability of migrant/ refugee girls to gender-based violence, and on the promotion of gender equality in migrant communities towards a positive change of male attitudes.
BASE was launched in January 2019 when partners met for the Kick-off meeting in Nicosia, Cyprus, hosted by the project coordinator Hope For Children” UNCRC Policy Center. During the meeting we again reflected on the needs, analysed work processes and activities that will be implemented during the 2-years of the project. We will:
- implement analysis on support services’ contextual practices in handling gender-based violence against migrant/refugee girls through desk-based research and Focus groups with migrant women and professionals from support services.
- develop and implement BASE Cultural Advisor curriculum for migrant women on cultural understanding to facilitate communication with girls’ victims of gender-based violence, and their families.
- develop and implement a capacity building programme for professionals on communication with migrant/refugee victims.
- implement Cultural advisor training workshops for migrant/refugee women and Capacity building training workshops for professionals from support services.
- organise meetings and events to lobby for the implementation and sustainability of the BASE programme.
We are convinced that BASE project will strengthen support structures that are working with survivors of gender-based violence, will empower migrant women as advisors and will ultimately benefit migrant/refugee girls by improving their experience of support services. We put all our effort to prevent or heal trauma of survivors of gender-based violence and to reconstruct positive belief systems!
About the project
BASE Migrant and refugee child-friendly support services in cases of sexual and gender-based violenceis cofunded by Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014-2020) – Prevent and combat gender-based violence and violence against children. The project aims at contributing to the development and sustainability of inclusive support services in cases of GBV against girls by Empowering migrant/refugee women as cultural advisors.
Partners
The partnership holds together 8 organisations:
- Coordinator: “Hope For Children” UNCRC Policy Center (Cyprus
- Associacao Portuguesa Conversas De Psicologia – Apcdp (Portugal)
- GENDER ALTERNATIVES FOUNDATION (Bulgaria)
- KENTRO MERIMNAS OIKOGENEIAS KAI PAIDIOU – KMOP (Greece)
- Rinova Limited (UK)
- Wissenschaftliche Vereinigung Fur Analyse, Beratung Und Interdisziplinare Forschung – abif (Austria)
- Znanstveno-Raziskovalno Sredisce KOPER – ZRS KOPER (Slovenia)
- CESIE (Italia)
For further information
Read more about BASE.
Follow us #BASEgbv // #BASEempowerment and contact Ruta Grigaliunaite for more information about the project and how you can get involved in the activities for positive change.
