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| International Work - RUSSIA | |||||||||
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Current Joint Project: "Domestic Violence and the Criminal Justice System in Russia - Life Without Fear" The Haven Wolverhampton, in partnership with the Women's Crisis Centre "Ekaterina", Sverdlovsk, Russia, received funding from the Big Lottery Fund in Spring 2006 for our joint project, "Domestic Violence and the Criminal Justice System in Russia - Life Without Fear". Project Background: Project Aims: Over the next three years of the project, JPs, lawyers, and "Ekaterina" will develop a joint response mechanism to domestic violence cases. Partnerships will be built with other Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the Sverdlovsk Area in order to distribute good practice, information and training resources. The non-governmental sector of support services for women and children is at an initial stage of development in the area, and the interaction and collaboration with state agencies is very important. NGOs in Russia do not have financial support from the government. They lack funds and the power to implement measures to prevent violence against women and children in the family. Capacity building of the crisis centre “Ekaterina” will help to increase its status and enable its voice to be heard when strategies and policies concerning human rights of women and children experiencing domestic violence are developed. “Ekaterina” aims to sign joint agreements with the law enforcement agencies to ensure speedy and effective justice and a co-ordinated support service for victims. The project established protection and justice targets which will be carefully monitored throughout its development. The Haven Wolverhampton has been one of the first agencies to develop accredited Domestic Violence training programmes. One of the units is called “Supporting Victims of Domestic Violence through the Criminal Justice System”. The Haven has a CAADA trained Advocacy Worker and works closely with Wolverhampton Domestic Violence Forum, influencing domestic violence strategy and policy in Wolverhampton. This experience will allow The Haven to continue to support the valuable work of our overseas colleagues in their struggle for justice for vulnerable women and children. Domestic violence is a criminal act which has to be dealt with accordingly. Women have the right to live without violence and there is a need to “prioritize women’s rights in judicial and non-judicial mechanisms” (Amnesty International). Research Proposal for 'Life Without Fear' Domestic Violence and the Criminal Justice System in the UK International visits between Russia and the UK have taken place as part of this project, so that those involved can gain a better knowledge of how the UK deals with domestic violence and can impart that knowledge more easily to our Russian partners. |
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The Women's Crisis Centre "Ekaterina" The Crisis Centre "Ekaterina" officially opened in Ekaterinburg, central Russia, on 6 March 1998, with the mission to provide social, psychological, legal support services to women and children experiencing domestic violence. Before this period, the problem of Domestic Violence was largely ignored. The centre has a team of psychologists and solicitors to provide individual consultations to women and works with women’s support groups. “Ekaterina” also works on raising awareness of the issues related to Domestic Violence and trafficking, delivers training to organisations and groups and works with the media. The Crisis Centre runs a Domestic Violence helpline; five years ago it had 700 referrals annually; now the number of referrals has reached 2000 per year! Social, psychological and legal support services are also delivered to survivors. The centre has only 8 members of staff; half of them are volunteers. Staff concentrate on building partnerships with similar organisations in Russia and abroad, in a joint effort to tackle the problem of Domestic Violence and effect political and social changes. NGOs in Russia do not have financial support from the government. They lack funds and the power to implement measures to prevent violence against women and children in the family. Capacity building of the crisis centre “Ekaterina” will help to increase its status and enable its voice to be heard when strategies and policies concerning human rights of women and children experiencing domestic violence are developed. |
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According to Amnesty International, “every hour a women in the Russian Federation dies at the hand of a relative, her partner or former partner”. Although the expression “domestic violence” is used by [Russian] women’s organisations and others, it “has not found its way into the legal codes of the Russian Federation”. The scale of domestic violence is vast but there is poor support and protection from the law enforcement agencies. Whilst in theory the law allows for the prosecution of abusers, victims often face prosecutors and judges with little to no awareness or training on violence in the family. Only a small percentage of cases make it to court and the majority of those cases are dismissed on the grounds of "amicable reconciliation". By opting for reconciliation, the perpetrator avoids having to provide compensation, or undergo any reform programmes for the treatment of drug and alcohol abuse; moreover, no action is taken in terms of restraining orders. Because of the tremendous shortage of housing, many women continue to live with their abusers. Case Studies of women helped by the International Project 'Life Without Fear' Amnesty International Report: "Russian Federation: Cases of violence against the family" Human Rights Watch Report: "Too Little, Too Late: State Response to Violence Against Women" |
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Press Releases, Published Articles and Publicity A major part of the project involves raising awareness of Domestic Violence amongst legal professionals and the general public in the Sverdlovsk area, Russia. Large articles have abeen published in a number of national Russian newpapers, major regional ones and local ones. Ekaterina staff have spoken about their work on television and radio. In the UK, we have been working to increase awareness of the situation in Russia and to inform people about our work with Russia. |
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Previous work between The Haven Wolverhampton and "Ekaterina" 2000 - 2001 2001 - 2003 Influential people from Ekaterinburg’s Local Authority were involved in the project and visited The Haven’s hostels. The Haven Wolverhampton, with its 30 years of experience in the field of Domestic Violence, was a valuable partner to learn from and, as the result, the first two hostels for women and children were open in Ekaterinburg. This was a huge step forward for the crisis centre as the homeless women can be given a refuge, shelter and support in a safe environment. 2004 |
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