|
|
       |
 |
 |
|
A Step Nearer to Russian Society Without Violence
The first international conference in Russia on the Prevention of Domestic Violence Offences - “Society Without Violence” - took place in Ekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Central Russia in early October. The Women’s Crisis Centre “Ekaterina” (Russian partner of The Haven Wolverhampton in our Big Lottery funded current joint international project “Life Without Fear: Protecting the Rights of Women and Children Experiencing Domestic Violence”) initiated the event, which was attended by important representatives from the Regional Government, Russian Criminal Justice System (including judges, prosecutors, police, lawyers) and the staff of local regional women’s crisis centres. It is a very positive development that so many prosecutors attended, as they have previously not taken part in initiatives providing training on Domestic Violence. More agencies than ever before networked together at this conference, another highly encouraging development in our work to tackle Domestic Violence in the Sverdlovsk region of Russia.
Representatives from The Haven, along with members of the UK judiciary and Home Office attended the conference and provided training to their Russian counterparts. They also showed a specially pre-recorded speech by Baroness Scotland at the conference. The event was a huge success; awareness about Domestic Violence was raised not only amongst conference participants, but all over Russia – national television channel “Vesti” broadcast information about the conference (and interviewed Kath Rees), and there were large articles in the major regional newspapers. Other administrative regions requested training on Domestic Violence, more crisis centres applied to join the Coalition of Crisis Centres of the Ural-Siberian Region, and the Sverdlovsk Regional Court made the decision to carry out a review of 30 homicides in the region. More information on this project can be found at http://www.havenrefuge.org.uk/International/Russia.htm; alternatively, phone 01902 572 147 or email pm@havenrefuge.org.uk Elvira Wilson
Links to India: Commonwealth Professional Fellowship
Mr. Hasrat Arjjumend, Chief Executive of the Grassroots India Trust has been with The Haven Wolverhampton since 17th September, as part of the prestigious Commonwealth Professional Fellowship scheme. For over 15 years Hasrat has been an influential presence in the voluntary sector of North India. He will be working at The Haven Wolverhampton until mid-December, in order to learn more about the issues facing women experiencing Domestic Violence, the ways in which The Haven supports these victims and what legal measures are used to tackle the problem. The expertise and experiences accumulated by The Haven over the past 34 years will be streamlined and adapted to tackle the complex forms of gender violence in Indian subcontinent.
Violence against women is widespread in South Asian countries especially India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Women remain victims of feudalistic institutions and stringent customs in socially divided societies. Honour killing of daughters and wives is very common. Sati, the practice of burning widows on the funeral pyres of their husbands, though banned, continues sporadically. In remote villages, witchcraft accusations and punishments are still popular. Dalit (the preferred term for those once described as ‘Untouchables’) women are exploited with crass inhumanity if any member of their group protests at their grossly unjust treatment by society. From home to crop field, office, or parliament, women continue to encounter violence. Over 37% of married women are victims of physical or sexual abuse by their husbands in India. More women face violence in rural areas (40.2%) than in urban areas (30.4%). Domestic Violence, as a manifestation of gender inequality, contributes to the failure of women to obtain education, drains resources from health services, and blocks the access of women to power and thus true democracy. Unfortunately, only 5-10% cases of Domestic Violence or violence against women are ever reported to the police.
Initiated in 2006, Grassroots India supports the Gender Resource Centre in the Panna district of Madhya Pradesh, to address violence against women by using legal analyses, research, strategy preparation, planning, document-ation, dissemination of learning, and importantly, media advocacy. It is planned to take action against gender violence in many more locations in India, helping to enforce more effectively the recent law ‘Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005’. Hasrat will give a talk, ‘Violence Against Women in India’, on Wednesday 28th November 2007, 11am-1pm, Electric Club, Wolverhampton as part of the programme of activities during ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence’. Lunch will be provided. For further information, please contact Marianne Simmonds on 01902 572 173 or e-mail: info@havenrefuge.org.uk. http://www.grassrootsglobal.net/gi/ Hasrat Arjjumend |
Supporting Women and Children in Uzbekistan
The Socio-Economic Development Centre “SABR”, Samarkand, Uzbekistan (a country located in Central Asia) provides psychological, social, legal and medical support to women and children in crisis in the city of Samarkand and surrounding region. The Haven Wolverhampton has been working with SABR since 1996, providing help and support to SABR in its activities. The Haven Wolverhampton is working with SABR focusing on the needs and rights of women and girls.
Seven members of “SABR” visited Wolverhampton in July, in order to receive training on The Haven’s approach to Domestic Violence. In August 2007, Gill Atkins (Chair of the Board of The Haven Wolver-hampton), Kath Rees (Chief Executive Officer) and Elvira Wilson (International Project Manager) visited “SABR”, to take part in the opening ceremony of three Centres for Social Adaptation in the Samarkand region. In these centres women from rural areas can gain practical skills which will enable them to earn money (sewing, embroidery, hair-dressing) along with skills for business, leadership, empowerment, and increase their knowledge about their rights, awareness about domestic violence and health issues. The visitors from The Haven delivered training to SABR staff, stakeholders and, for the first time, Board, on the legislative aspects of dealing with domestic violence and governance of the voluntary sector.
Finally, The Haven Wolverhampton would like to send its congratulations to “SABR”, which received its Micro-Financing Licence from the Uzbek government, which will allow it to continue with its micro-financing activities to continue to bring benefit to the poorest members of the rural Samarkand population. Marianne Simmonds
2008 “Life Without Fear” Calendar
Our Russian colleague, lawyer Natalia Sukhareva, has turned her photographic talents to helping women and children affected by Domestic Violence by donating 13 beautiful photographs of stunning scenes from Russian nature for a calendar to help raise funds for “Life Without Fear”. This desktop calendar is available for £6 and makes an ideal gift! Please phone 01902 572 173 or e-mail info@havenrefuge.org.uk to order a copy or for more information. Marianne Simmonds
|
