Women are not vulnerable simply because they are women, nor do the women we support in our trafficking provision lack the capacity or the intelligence to make life choices. Many of these women come from societies that do not recognise their equality or view them as “lesser” human beings and they have been made vulnerable due to circumstances over which they have no control.
The impact of armed conflict on the situation of violence against women in the Ukraine
Violence against women and all forms of sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault, forced prostitution, and sexual slavery, are increasingly recognized as a facet of many recent conflicts, spanning from the European Balkans to African countries. Social and economic crises and breakdowns in the rule of law contribute to domestic violence also within the families of former combatants. This article gives an overview of the situation regarding gender-based violence (GBV) in the Ukraine caused by the war, which erupted in April 2014.
Solidarity in wartime – Ground to hold on to hope
“I see, I hear, I feel you”
Feminist work with women survivors of the war from the territory of the former Yugoslavia (1991-1999)
Women’s solidarity is a value cherished by feminists all around the world. During wartime, the need for solidarity is even more urgent. Some feminist activists working with women coming from warzones in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia knew this very well. We made a conscientious decision to collaborate with each other during wartime and afterwards. At the same time, a constant flow of self-organized solidarity was arriving from women in Europe towards the women activists in and near the war zones. This precious experience of women’s solidarity during wartime is the theme of this article. Solidarity is precious at all times, but in wartime, it represents ground on which you can sow the seeds of hope.
Trafficked women and girls among asylum seekers in Austria
The vulnerable situation of trafficked women and girls seeking asylum is widely recognized. Consequently, women and girls affected by trafficking are entitled to special procedural guarantees(2) and special reception conditions(3) during their asylum proceedings. In order to guarantee those rights, EU Member States have a positive human rights obligation to identify potentially trafficked women and girls among asylum seekers in a timely and effective manner.
The legal barriers affecting undocumented women in Italy
Miriam(1) is a young migrant woman who turned to a women’s anti-violence centre in Northern Italy to escape the violence perpetrated by her husband. Miriam held a residence permit for family reunification and had entered the shelter three months before her permit was due to expire. Miriam had two possibilities to remain in Italy. The first was to find a permanent job before her permit expired and show the authorities that she would earn enough money to maintain herself and her daughter. The second was to hope that the juvenile court would determine that she could obtain the custody of her child, who was born in Italy, and then extend her permit for family reasons.
The fathers’ rights movement and anti-feminism
The fathers’ rights movement has been around for more than a decade functioning as a loose network of advocates predominantly in the USA and throughout Europe, operating with the said mission of preserving the well-being of children by ensuring that family law frameworks are not discriminatory against fathers. Some in the fathers’ rights movement also stand for the lowering of child support payments and protesting against what they say are mothers’ frequently made up allegations of domestic violence.(1)
Technology and social media: yet more tools to threaten, control and coerce women
For many women the abuse, harassment and stalking they experience online is just another disturbing example of the violence they receive from their partner or ex-partner. Far from being the one-off incident of online abuse that is perceived by the police – this behaviour by perpetrators is just another way to control, threaten and coerce women. Online stalking and harassment is part of a pattern of behaviour which encompasses online abuse and street harassment as well as domestic violence and murder.
Shelters for undocumented migrant women in the Netherlands
Migrant women are powerful women. It requires determination and perseverance to make the journey from your home country to a new and unknown country. Certainly, if it is not clear how the future will look like − asylum seekers and other migrants cannot count on a warm welcome.
Migration legislation is cruel − not everyone who needs it gets a residence permit. The connection between migration legislation and social legislation denies irregular migrant women access to social security, including women’s shelters.
The situation of specialist women’s support services in Austria: A Summary of the Austrian GREVIO Report
Article 22 of the Istanbul Convention covers the obligation to provide or establish specialist women’s support services for all women victims of violence and their … read article
Survivors’ project in Portugal: New challenges in the fight against sexual violence
Specialized support services for victims of sexual violence are lacking in the majority of European Union countries, and Portugal is no exception. Despite the high rate of rape cases and abuse towards women and children, there are no rape crisis centres and specialized services for survivors in Portugal. The Association of Women Against Violence (AMCV) is taking action to open the first rape crisis centre and implementing the WAVE Step Up! Campaign. Moreover, new programs and initiatives have been launched, such as Hypatia, a self-representative group of survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). One of the participants shared with us her experience as a survivor of sexual violence and the important support she received from this service.
Could you share with us your experience in terms of searching and accessing specialized services in the field of sexual violence?
In the beginning I felt lost and afraid. I felt that there was no information available and I did not know what to do. I felt completely isolated, as if I had been caught up in some sort of hole. When I suffered the violent act, I called the police who accompanied me to the Institute of Forensic Medicine (IML) to undergo the forensic examination. Neither the police nor the IML gave me the contact details of any specialized organization that could help me get some support. After the complaint and forensic examination, I was completely alone and I felt desperate. It was a painful process. I was ashamed to tell what had happened to me and I did not feel supported at that early stage.
At the IML I felt as if I was being assaulted once again. I felt very uncomfortable being examined by a man − having to show him my body and being touched by him. He was a very cold and distant person− he did what he had to do without explaining anything to me. He ordered me to do things mechanically. It was painful process, as the examination was performed will little care and consideration for my needs. I would have liked to have been accompanied by someone I could trust, but I was unaware whether this was possible. And I wish I had been referred to a specialized organization in this field.
How did you learn about the existence of AMCV? And what kind of support did they offer you?
A community organization that I know gave me the contact details of a general victim support organization. In turn, this organization gave me the contact details of AMCV, explaining that they offered a specialized service in this field. I called to schedule a counselling session since I needed help. I could not be alone throughout this process. I shared what had happened to me with some close friends. It was important but not enough. I know that many victims only seek help later on, because it is very painful and they just want to be alone and hide from everything and everyone.
Since then I have been supported on a regular basis by AMCV. The support is focused on my different needs. This is a very positive aspect. The police and the IML played an important part related to the crime itself and the legal proceedings, but this does not meet the needs of someone who has been subjected to sexual violence. In such cases it is important to benefit from specialist support that can cover all your needs and the need to feel that someone is close to you.
In the beginning, it was very complicated to attend the service; I distrusted everything and everyone. I was afraid to speak out and act. I was always “standing behind”. I even postponed some sessions because it was too painful to talk about what had happened. But not anymore. Now I always come and I never forget the sessions. Gradually, I realized that I could trust the professionals who only wanted to help me and give me strength to be able to bear the horrible situation I was in and fight for my rights. I could finally have some peace.
I thought of suicide several times. I thought I had no way out, that I could not bear so much pain any longer. But with the support of AMCV and the counsellor I developed my ability to act and think about what had happened. I stopped blaming myself and began to focus on my happiness, on my goals and rights. Today I know that the blame of what had happened to me lies only with the perpetrator − he is a criminal.
It was very important to know that whenever I wanted I could call AMCV and schedule a session to share my doubts and fears, as well as receive information about various issues, services, criminal proceedings and safety strategies. Above all else, it was important to know that I was not alone. With the passage of time I started to have more confidence in myself and in other people; that gave me strength and determination.
