Archive
2020
The MARTA Liepājas Foundation implements the foundations of sustainable development and good governance of the organization
In order to create the foundations for sustainable development and good governance of the Center MARTA Liepāja Foundation, in May of this year the foundation launched and is now, in December, concluding the project “Building the Capacity of the Center MARTA Liepāja Foundation” of the Active Residents Fund’s “Sustainability and Capacity” program. This project is the first within which activities have been implemented to build the foundations for the organization’s sustainability, and the developments created in the project will serve the organization even after the project’s implementation and will allow it to more effectively implement the foundation’s goals, both by providing services to victims of violence and by promoting systemic changes at the Liepāja and Kurzeme regional levels in order to more effectively combat domestic violence.
The project implemented various activities for the foundation in three important areas of activity. One of the areas was strategic planning and financial management of the organization's activities. As a result, a strategic development plan was developed until 2023. In order to promote the attraction of donations, the foundation was registered as a public benefit organization, but registration in the register of social service providers will allow the foundation to generate revenue from the state program that provides social rehabilitation services to adult victims of violence.
The visibility and communication of the foundation are essential, therefore the visual identity of the foundation has been developed and, in order to regularly inform the public about its activities, it was important to improve the foundation's website www.martaliepaja.lv. "Based on the foundation's core activities, we have identified several communication target groups that we want to reach in order to successfully implement our activities. These are victims of violence as recipients of services, specialists from other institutions - social services, police, orphans' courts, courts - who are faced with solving cases of domestic violence on a daily basis, as well as potential supporters," says Madara Lapsa, the chairwoman of the foundation's board.
The third direction of action – the establishment of a foundation management system and strengthening internal cooperation includes the establishment of a client management system and the development and implementation of internal quality control procedures. Taking into account that the most important direction of action of the foundation is the provision of an interdisciplinary team according to the principle of a “one-stop” agency, in which many specialists are involved (social worker, psychologist, child psychologist, lawyer, support group leader, youth mentor), the implementation of an effective service management and quality control system is important. The elements of such a system are both the establishment of a client management system in accordance with the requirements of personal data protection regulations, the implementation of quality and control procedures, and support for the team – supervision, team meetings and individual support for team members.
By implementing this project, the sustainable existence of a strong and well-managed organization is ensured, which makes a significant contribution to civil society in Liepāja and the Kurzeme region. In August of this year, it was 4 years since the MARTA Center in Liepāja has been providing complex interdisciplinary assistance to victims of violence. “The demand for our service is growing every year. In 2021, a total of 553 free consultations with a lawyer, psychologist and social worker helped 87 women, 3 men and 18 children. This year, one cycle of 8 support group classes was also conducted, in which 6 women participated. Our clients are mostly from Liepāja, but there are also those from Grobiņa, Aizpute, Pāvilosta, Riga, Ventspils and Jēkabpils,” says Madara Lapsa.
The project “Capacity Building of the MARTA Liepājas Foundation” is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Programme “Active Residents Fund”. The project aims to build the foundations for sustainable development and good governance of the MARTA Liepājas Foundation, and the total funding is 19,173.98 euros.
The MARTA Liepājas Center Foundation is the continuation of the activities previously implemented by the MARTA Liepājas Center Branch as a separate legal entity, starting from January 24, 2020. The goal of the foundation is to promote gender equality and defend women's interests and rights.
The Liepāja branch of the MARTA Center is implementing a project at Liepāja Secondary School with the aim of reducing early school leaving among students
The Liepāja branch of the association “Centrs MARTA” in cooperation with J. Čakstes Liepāja City Secondary School No. 10 has been implementing various activities in the project “WE HIGHLIGHT AND STRENGTHEN VALUES AND ATTITUDES” since July of last year. Within the framework of the organized regular youth groups, special attention was paid to reducing violence and promoting healthy relationships, young people attended cultural events, and an Ideas Platform was created with the aim of promoting youth activity and participation in reducing current problems – violence and mobbing.
The project included a cycle of youth group classes for 9th grade students from J. Čakste Liepāja City Secondary School No. 10. Since September 2020, 28 young people have met in classes both in person and online to develop their skills needed to recognize, respond to, and prevent violence against themselves and their peers, as well as improve their skills in building healthy and mutually supportive relationships with peers. The classes were led by Ieva Dzerkale, youth group leader of the Liepāja branch of Centra MARTA, using the “Methodology for Working with Youth Groups” developed by Centra MARTA to reduce violence and promote healthy relationships among young people.
“School representatives indicated that group classes were a good and useful addition to the distance learning process for students. It also helped teachers in organizing the busy learning process. The parents of the young people had also observed the positive impact – weekly group classes helped students to temporarily break away from distance learning and focus on other topics, and it was also important for them to meet and collaborate with their classmates regularly,” emphasizes project manager Juris Dilba.
After completing the cycle of group classes, this spring, young people continued their work in three idea platform classes, led by the head of the youth program of the MARTA Center Madara Mazjāne and the head of the youth groups Ieva Dzerkale. Within the framework of the platform, young people realized their creative ideas – created a short film on the topic of mobbing (see here ), conducted a survey of students and teachers about mobbing and created an Instagram account “Sakinemobingam”. Within the classes, young people had the opportunity to learn about the experience of Roja Secondary School students Patrīcija Kleinberga and Megija Janševica in reducing mobbing in their school.
As part of the PuMPuRS project, young people from J. Čakste Liepāja City Secondary School No. 10, some of whom are at risk of early school leaving, had the opportunity to attend three online cultural events included in the Latvian School Bag program. In cooperation with school teachers, the content of the cultural events also became part of the learning process. The students watched the Liepāja Theatre's educational performance "How to make a show?", the film lecture and documentary animation film "My favorite war" offered by the Splendid Palace cinema, as well as the digital musical conversation "How to make music from nothing" by the duo "Santehniķi".
Summarizing the results of the project in collaboration with the teachers of J. Čakstes Liepāja City Secondary School No. 10, it was concluded that the activities have promoted the youth's sense of belonging to the group and community. The youth's abilities to critically analyze situations and stand up against violence and injustice in a safe way have been developed. As a result of group activities, the youth have improved their abilities to make responsible and conscious decisions about their emotional, mental and physical health, as well as to establish and maintain healthy, respectful relationships with their peers, teachers, parents and themselves. “In the survey, the majority of young people indicated that they are now able to recognize mobbing situations better than before this process, they feel safer than before to get involved in situations where mobbing is taking place in order to reduce or stop it, and they now feel more confident about talking to others, informing and educating about mobbing than before this process,” Ieva Dzerkale points out on the achievements regarding the growth of the participants.
The project took place within the framework of an open project competition "Involvement of young people at risk of early school leaving in youth initiative projects", the basis for the organization of which was the European Social Fund project "Support for the Reduction of Early School Leaving" (abbreviated as PuMPuRS) (8.3.4.0/16/I/001) administered by the State Service for the Quality of Education.
Project “For a safe and free life in Latgale: MARTA Center branch in Rezekne”
Here is the translation into English. I have formatted it to be clear and professional, suitable for a project report or a website.
Latvia's State Forests 2020 Social Sphere Project Competition
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Total Project Budget: €14,987.77
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Project Start Date: March 1, 2020
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Project End Date: December 31, 2020
Project Objective
The objective of the project is to establish a branch of Marta Centre in Rēzekne to effectively provide a full, long-term social rehabilitation service based on an interdisciplinary model. This service is designed for female victims of violence living in the Latgale region, tailored to their needs to end violence, mitigate its consequences, and ensure the protection of their rights. Within the project, the Rēzekne branch team will be established and trained, cooperation with the local municipality will be developed, and the first 5–10 clients will receive consultations.
Project Results
Team and Recruitment
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As of April 1, 2020, Ligija Purinaša joined the Marta Centre team as the head of the new Rēzekne branch.
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An open competition for specialists (lawyer, psychologist, social worker) was announced in mid-June via social media. Out of 16 applications, candidates were evaluated in three stages: application review, case-study resolution, and an in-person interview.
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While a psychologist and lawyer were successfully recruited, a second round was required for the social worker position in late August (receiving 9 additional applications).
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The recruitment process served as an effective publicity tool: the initial vacancy announcements reached 13,832 people, while the second call for a social worker reached 16,515 people.
Infrastructure and Cooperation
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Cooperation continued with the Rēzekne City Council's "Social Service" department.
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Renovations of the branch premises at 10 Viļānu Street, Rēzekne, began in July and were completed by late September. Furnishing and equipment setup were finalized in early November.
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Support and donation campaigns were successfully launched to provide basic equipment (dishes, furniture, household goods, etc.).
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Cooperation agreements were signed with local institutions in Rēzekne.
Training and Public Awareness
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Summer Training: Participation in the "Points of View: Respect" seminar alongside other Latgale NGOs and government officials. A seminar on identifying and preventing human trafficking was also organized in cooperation with the Probation Service.
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Team Development: On September 8–9, a two-day off-site training was held at Lūznava Manor, where the Marta Centre interdisciplinary team shared expertise and trained the core Rēzekne team.
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Workshops: During the "Nordic Days" in Rēzekne, two workshops on gender equality and mobbing were held. In October, a workshop series titled "Courage to Speak: Gender Equality and Healthy Relationships in the University Environment" was launched, involving local youth.
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Specialized Training: In October and November, the team completed intensive training on gender equality, violence issues in Latvia, the Marta Centre approach to victims, and inter-institutional support for adult victims of sexual violence within the family.
Legal Status and Service Provision
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The Marta Centre Rēzekne branch was officially registered as a separate structural unit in the Register of Social Service Providers (Reg. No. 1354).
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The framework and guidelines for Marta Centre's social service delivery procedures were developed.
Client Support (November – December) Active work with clients began in November. Consultations provided:
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November: 4 psychologist, 4 lawyer, and 12 social worker consultations.
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December: 26 psychologist, 7 lawyer, and 24 social worker consultations.
Informational materials on recognizing violence and seeking help were created and distributed in public locations throughout Rēzekne and on the branch's Facebook page.
Project Support for the activities of the MARTA Center, promoting the well-being and advocacy of interests of families with teenagers
The goal of the project “Support for the activities of the MARTA Center, promoting the well-being and protection of the interests of families with teenagers” is to create and develop a mutually coordinated support system for families with teenagers, based on the unique methodology for preventing violence in work with young people developed and approved by the center.
Adolescence is one of the most complex stages of a child's life, and poses challenges even for families that already have sufficient resources to maintain healthy family dynamics. The free support available to families with teenagers in Latvia is currently limited, and is mostly focused on solving already existing problems – cases in which the family is in crisis. Often, as a result of these crises, an emotionally or physically violent environment is created in the family; similarly, families in which violence has already been observed or its risks are increased are less able to overcome difficulties and maintain full-fledged mutual relationships based on respect and family values. The MARTA Center believes that it is necessary to provide families with resources as much as possible even before significant problems arise, to promote the competences of adolescents, their parents and people with whom adolescents encounter on a daily basis (e.g. educational and social workers) for managing emotions, respectful and effective communication, as well as overcoming practical challenges in mutual interaction.
The project will provide training for specialists who, after the end of the project, will organize adolescent groups throughout Latvia in accordance with the aforementioned methodology, as well as meet with adolescent parents, ensuring a unified approach to strengthening adolescent, family and peer relationships. At the same time, the role of men in the family and in raising adolescents will be highlighted, organizing public discussions with practical advice on how to promote high-quality relationships between fathers and adolescent children, as well as strengthening the cooperation of the MARTA Center with organizations that implement activities in the field of supporting children, youth and families, and ensuring the involvement of NGOs in decision-making on issues related to the protection of the interests of adolescents and their families.
Project implementation period: 06.11.2020 – 31.03.2021
The project is financially supported by the Society Integration Fund from the Latvian state budget.
Dare to Care Baltics project
CBSS PROJECT SUPPORT FACILITY. Project no. PSF 2020/1
The project addresses the priority area of the Council of the Baltic Sea States “safe and stable region”, focusing on reducing and preventing violence among children and young people living in the Baltic States. The project activities aim to strengthen the well-being of young people and increase awareness of healthy relationships, as well as develop the competences necessary to prevent young people from entering violent situations and human trafficking.
Participating organizations: MARTA Center , Latvia (Leading Partner); NGO Paikuse Open Youth Center , Estonia (Cooperation Partner); Women's Issues Information Center , Lithuania (Cooperation Partner)
Project duration: 01.10.2020 – 30.04.2022.
Project description:
The direct target group of the project is specialists - youth workers, social workers, educators - who work with young people aged 12 to 18. The project aims to develop competences in working with youth, providing specialists from partner countries with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to prevent violence between children and young people. This will be done using the Youth Group Methodology developed by the MARTA Centre. During the project, trained specialists from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia will implement the Youth Group Methodology. 4 specialists from each country (12 in total) will attend international training, become youth group leaders and will implement the methodology in local communities in partner countries, as well as actively participate in competence-building seminars and reflections. Each partner country will organize and lead at least 3 youth groups in this long-term (5–7 months) group cycle, directly involving at least 30 young people from each country (90 in total). The Youth Group methodology will be piloted and adapted based on feedback from participants. This will ensure that the methodology is relevant to the cultural context of the country and community. To ensure long-term impact, each youth group will organize 1 local activity (9 in total), directly involving at least 15 people (135 in total), to raise awareness of topics of importance to young people, related to healthy relationships and violence prevention. At the end of the project, an international youth forum will be organized in Vilnius, where delegations of youth groups from each partner country will meet with local and international stakeholders, youth workers and other professionals to share the approach, results and lessons learned from the Youth Group methodology.
Youth group methodology is a cycle of classes in which young people can come together, discuss and engage in non-formal education activities that cover a variety of topics: from friendship, respectful communication, sexual and reproductive health to unhealthy relationships, their risks, causes and consequences. Learning skills - how to promote tolerance and respect not only in an individual, but also in a local context.
Project Youth Festival “Courage to Care!”
The project's goal and main activities: to promote a sense of belonging among young people both at the local and national levels, as well as to promote involvement in activities that reduce the risk factors for young people entering violent relationships - by developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to recognize, respond to and prevent violence against themselves and their peers. As part of the project, a youth festival "Courage to Care!" will be held in Dagda, where young people from various violence prevention youth groups implemented by the MARTA Center from all over Latvia will meet, creating an opportunity to network and strengthen the sense of belonging to the messages and values expressed in the groups, thus strengthening the ability of young people themselves to become agents of change in their communities.
Young people will participate in various non-formal education activities for three days, strengthening critical thinking, situation analysis and decision-making skills. Thus, promoting the ability of young people to act in the healthiest possible way in crisis situations, as well as to prevent the occurrence of such situations. Within the framework of the project activities, young people will have the opportunity to explore and discuss in depth issues related to self-knowledge, healthy relationships, recognition and management of their own and other emotions, types of violence (including human trafficking), their recognition and appropriate response, as well as strengthen discussion-building and conflict resolution skills.
The project's target group: young people aged 13 to 18 from all over Latvia who have participated in violence prevention groups implemented by the MARTA Center.
Project results, planned impact and sustainability: The project will result in the creation of a youth network involved in violence prevention, the belonging of the young people involved in the project to the local community and the wider society, as well as the readiness to become agents of change among their peers in local communities. By promoting open discussion on issues relevant to young people and expanding the circle of support available to young people, the prerequisites for the formation of healthier self-esteem and the prevention of the risks of peer violence and suicide will be created. By actively participating in the creation and improvement of various methods, as well as by generating ideas for further cooperation within municipalities and sub-counties, more active participation in reducing violence in the local community and Latvian society as a whole will be promoted among young people. Young people will be encouraged to actively participate in activities organized by the school, local youth center, city or county. They will have gained confidence in their ability to create and develop opportunities for activities and participation, as well as see the opportunity to develop into peer educators in the field of violence prevention in the future.
Project duration: 01.08.2020. - 01.09.2020.
The event is financially supported by the Society Integration Fund from the Latvian state budget funds allocated by the Ministry of Culture; the Ministry of Education and Science within the framework of the State Youth Policy Program for 2020; OAK Foundation.
2019
Project “Strengthening the activities of the association “Centrs MARTA””
The project will help MARTA continue its existing operating model – identifying and advancing equality issues identified in collaboration with clients on the agenda of policy planners, as well as integrating the perspective of women's, youth and children's rights, expressing opinions on policy planning documents and regulatory enactments, as well as monitoring the implementation of existing legal norms and policy planning documents and stimulating discussions in the public space, thus encouraging women and children to seek help to defend their rights.
The overall goal of the project is to strengthen and improve the activities of the “MARTA Center” in providing services to women victims of violence, as well as in advocating for the interests of women, children and youth, in order to provide the best possible interdisciplinary team services to women and children victims of violence and human trafficking, as well as to ensure the advocacy of the interests of women, children and youth at the national level.
The project helps the MARTA Center continue its existing operating model, pushing equality issues identified in collaboration with clients onto the agenda of policy planners, as well as integrating the perspective of women, youth and children's rights, expressing opinions on policy planning documents and regulatory enactments, as well as monitoring the implementation of existing legal norms and policy planning documents. An important aspect of the MARTA Center's operations is also stimulating discussions in the public space, trying to change public views on gender equality and thus encouraging women and children to seek help to defend their rights.
Project target group: women, youth and children, employees of the association “Centrs MARTA”
Project implementation period: 01.01.2019. – 31.10.201.
The main activities of the project: participation in working groups and commissions of state institutions, provision of opinions on policy planning documents and regulatory enactments, planning and implementation of activities of the Baltic Coalition for Reducing the Spread of Sexual Exploitation, public activities (participation in the LAMPA festival, creation of an information campaign before the European Union parliamentary elections, lectures, etc.), promotion of cooperation with other NGOs, promotion of the competence of “Centrs MARTA” employees in communicating with the media and clients, as well as improved work productivity, development of the association's strategy for 2020-2024 has begun.
Planned results of the project: Understanding of society and decision-making institutions about the problems of women, youth and children, development of the association's strategy for the period from 2020 to 2024, development and implementation of legislation appropriate to the needs; prepared position papers, opinions, expressed opinions on:
• Ratification of the Istanbul Convention on the Prevention of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence;
• improving rehabilitation services for victims of violence, abusers and victims of human trafficking;
• Prostitution Restriction Law.
The project is financially supported by the Society Integration Fund from the Latvian state budget.
Project "For a safe and free life in Latgale: branch of the association Centrs MARTA in Rēzekne"
Women from the Latgale region are increasingly turning to the MARTA Center for help, who unfortunately lack the resources to travel to Riga to receive the necessary support in the event of violence. In 2019, 2 clients from Latgale were consulted remotely, including providing support in legal proceedings, but it is not possible to provide full-fledged interdisciplinary team assistance in person over a longer period of time, which is the most effective way to achieve an end to violence and prevent its negative consequences. Violence is still a bigger problem in Latvia than on average in Europe (39% of women have experienced physical and sexual violence, 60% emotional violence and 14% stalking), and it is especially difficult to effectively prevent it in rural areas and more remote regions, where poverty, religious considerations, the specificity of close mutual contact in the local community and fear of condemnation from others prevent women from seeking help from the police or social services. With the financial support of the JSC Latvijas Valsts Meži, administered by the organization Ziedot.lv , the MARTA Center is implementing a project aimed at establishing a MARTA Center branch in Rēzekne, with the aim of effectively providing a full interdisciplinary model-based social rehabilitation service for women who have been victims of violence living in the Latgale region in the long term, according to their needs, in order to stop violence, mitigate its consequences and ensure the protection of rights. Within the framework of the project, the Rēzekne branch team will be established and trained, a service provision guidelines manual will be developed, cooperation with the municipality will be developed, and the first 5-10 clients will be consulted.
Project for addiction prevention among young people “Prevention++”
The “Prevention++” project is being implemented to ensure wider access to preventive education among young people at risk of addiction, with a particular focus on substances such as tobacco, alcohol and cannabinoids.
Project objectives:
Reduce the risks of alcohol, tobacco and drug use among young people by creating awareness among young people about the impact of these substances on health and relationships with themselves and others.
Helping young people find alternative and healthy ways to spend their time and build a sense of belonging.
To develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills in young people by understanding cause and effect relationships.
During the project, a methodology will be developed, piloted and evaluated, consisting of various non-formal education activities and tasks that can be adapted to work with young people in different environments. This methodology is planned to be developed and piloted by a total of 18 youth workers and 18 volunteers from each project partner country (Latvia, Romania, Estonia) in the period from September 2019 to June 2021. The project results will be summarized in three-part methodological material: guidelines for carrying out preventive work; non-formal education methods-lessons; guidelines for advocacy and dissemination of results.
The project is coordinated by: Asociatia Idei si Proiecte pentru Tineri Activi (Romania)
Partners: MARTA Center (Latvia) and WATERGRATT PIRITA NGO (Estonia)
Project priorities: promoting the quality, visibility and innovative approaches of youth work; social inclusion.
Planned project results:
18 youth workers and 18 volunteers are involved in an intensive training program, during which they acquire skills and knowledge on how to implement prevention work, how to adapt methods to specific target groups and how to prepare and implement an educational prevention campaign. The youth workers involved in the project have acquired the necessary competencies and willingness to implement addiction prevention activities among young people at risk of social exclusion.
At least 540 young people (180/partner) are involved in local activities, thus gaining understanding of the risks of social exclusion related to addictive substances.
Comprehensive addiction prevention work guidelines, including the most important aspects for carrying out preventive work among young people at risk of social exclusion.
The prevention work methodology is included in the range of activities provided by at least 10 organizations or institutions (for each partner).
The project is implemented with the support of Erasmus+ program and Agenția Națională pentru Programe Comunitare în Domeniul Educației și Formării Profesionale.
Project No. 2019-1-RO01-KA205-062605
Project implementation period: June 2019 – June 2021
Project “Voice of Women: Strengthening Women's Participation in Democratic Processes and Public Administration in Central Asian Countries”
From July 1, 2019 to November 15, 2019, the MARTA Center association implemented the project “Voice of Women: Strengthening Women's Participation in Democratic Processes and Public Administration in Central Asian Countries”, funded by a grant from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia, within the framework of which training was organized for women leaders in Tajikistan and women politicians in Kyrgyzstan, as well as a pre-election campaign for the elections scheduled for next year in Kyrgyzstan was developed together with project partners in Kyrgyzstan.
From October 28 to November 8, experts from the MARTA Center Iluta Lāce, Gundega Tentere and Dita Lāce, as well as expert Lolita Čigāne, were in Tajikistan, Khujand (28.10.2019-2.11.2019), and Kyrgyzstan, Osh (2.11.2019-8.11.2019), where they led two-day seminars, as well as networking workshops, promoting mutual cooperation between women, NGOs and local government representatives. They also visited organizations with which the MARTA Center is building long-term cooperation, allowing project participants to be inspired by what has been done in previous projects and share their experiences. As a result of the project, women learned presentation and political lobbying skills, strategies for promoting various initiatives related to gender issues, and in practical workshops they prepared ideas for real advocacy projects and activities, as well as for their political career campaigns. A great benefit was also the establishment and strengthening of mutual contacts, thus providing the opportunity to form unified positions and jointly promote important initiatives at the municipal and national levels.
As part of the training, women not only listened to informative presentations given by experts from the MARTA Center and participated in discussions, but also performed various practical tasks, including going in person to survey their potential voters, preparing drafts of project initiatives in groups, and searching for information for reasoned and fact-based public messages.
The project partners in Tajikistan are the public organization MIR “Workshop for the Development of Initiatives”, whose main areas of activity are informative and educational seminars on civil society, youth leadership, and a healthy lifestyle. It provides free courses (English, Russian, psychological consultations) for children and young people from risk groups. Various educational programs, modules, and consultation techniques are developed, consultations and support for civic initiatives are provided. Information campaigns and actions have been organized and research has been conducted. The organization has collaborated in international projects with various organizations, such as UNICEF. In turn, in Kyrgyzstan, the project partners are the public foundation “DIA”, whose main goal and activities are as follows: psychological, social, and material support, ensuring women’s rights, creating conditions for constant self-care and participation in public and state affairs, consolidating women’s organizations, involving women in entrepreneurship, as well as informative, legal, and consultative assistance, and promoting gender issues. The DIA Foundation is a member of the parliamentary lobbying group and is actively involved in the preparation of recommendations on draft laws and political decisions. Since the cooperation with the MARTA Center in 2016, promoting access to education for girls has also become an important part of the DIA program. The organization has participated in international projects together with the MARTA Center, and also regularly cooperates with international organizations, such as UNIFEM.
The project was implemented with funds from the state budget program 07.00.00 “Development cooperation projects and international assistance”.
2018
Project FAIRCOM - On providing fair and proportionate compensation to victims of sexual violence
The FAIRCOM project aims to develop and disseminate an effective model for providing fair and adequate compensation to victims of sexual violence in the European Union.
Over the last decade, the situation of crime victims and the protection of their rights have received increased attention both at the European Union level and in each of the Member States, through the adoption of a number of interrelated directives. The right to fair and adequate compensation for victims is considered a fundamental need, as compensation can provide the financial resources necessary to receive adequate physical and mental health care, as well as to acknowledge the offence and the trauma suffered. Criminal justice must be victim-centred and ensure that victims receive fair compensation for the pain and suffering they have suffered, regardless of the victim's nationality.
Although almost all EU Member States have legally transposed the directives governing the granting of compensation, the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Home Affairs and Justice and the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality have indicated in a recent report that the issue of the implementation of the directives in practice and their effectiveness remains unclear in several countries.
Victims of crime can usually receive monetary compensation for the personal injuries and damage caused by the crime. There are two sources of compensation: the perpetrator of the criminal offence or the state. However, the conditions and procedures for granting compensation vary from country to country, resulting in unequal treatment of victims depending on the place where the crime was committed: this aspect creates serious obstacles to the fair and adequate compensation for the damage suffered by victims of both national and cross-border crimes.
Therefore, the FAIRCOM project aims to establish minimum EU-level standards for the award of compensation to victims of sexual violence, in order to contribute to the implementation of harmonised and consistent minimum standards of support and protection, as set out in the European Directive 2004/80/EC on compensation to crime victims and 2012/29/EU on the rights of crime victims.
The project consortium hopes to change the existing paradigm of insufficient compensation for victims of sexual violence by identifying regulatory and organizational barriers that prevent victims of sexual violence from exercising their rights to compensation and claiming it, as well as by identifying and developing good practices that would more readily allow victims to exercise their rights.
More information on the project website https://sexualviolencejustice.eu/
The project is funded by the European Union's Justice Programme (2014-2020)
Grant Agreement No.: 847360 — FAIRCOM — JUST-AG-2018/JUST-JACC-AG-2018
The project is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, within the framework of the state budget sub-program 22.10.00 "Social cohesion measures"
This material has been produced within the framework of the FAIRCOM project, with financial support from the Justice Programme of the European Union and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Project “Support groups and crisis assistance for women with children who have been victims of violence in Riga and Liepāja”
The goal of the project is to improve the services of the MARTA Center for women with children who have been victims of violence, by additionally offering crisis assistance and support group services in Riga and Liepāja.
The project will provide crisis assistance - immediate assistance from an interdisciplinary team (social worker, lawyer and psychologist) when it is necessary to immediately address the safety issues of a woman and her children who have been victims of domestic violence and provide psychosocial support. In addition to specialist consultations, which the MARTA Center provides as part of the state-funded social rehabilitation service, mothers who have been victims of violence will be able to attend support groups, during which childcare will be provided.
It is planned that as a result of the project implementation, 25 women with children who have been victims of violence will be provided with crisis assistance and at least 20 women with children will attend 2 support groups in Riga and Liepāja.
In the project, the MARTA Center will cooperate with existing partners – the State Police, municipal police, orphans' courts and social services, as well as with social service providers.
Project implementation period: 01.07.2018 - 30.11.2018.
Total project funding: EUR 6,784.05
For more information about the project, please contact project manager Juris Dilba – 27038147, juris@marta.lv
Project “Advocacy of the interests of women, youth and children”
Project name: Courage to Care! Violence Prevention in the Youth Environment.
Project implementation period: 01.01.2018. – 31.12.2020.
Project implementation locations: Riga, Riga district, Vidzeme, Latgale, Zemgale, Kurzeme.
Project partners: Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia; US Embassy in Latvia, Small Grants program; MADARA COSMETICS, AS; Latvian schools, youth centers and educational institutions.
Project financier: OAK Foundation
Project objectives:
1. Capacity building in working with children and youth by developing and piloting a culture-specific methodology aimed at preventing violence against children and youth, as well as providing training for education specialists for its implementation.
Activities:
Informative study «What concepts of gender roles and stereotypes influence violence among young people?»
Methodology development;
A campaign created by young people.
2. Reduce risk factors for adolescents entering violent relationships by developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to recognize, respond to and prevent violence against themselves and their peers.
Activities:
Creation of a youth forum;
Creation of groups for boys and girls (13-16 years old) in various Latvian schools, youth centers, and orphanages;
Methodology impact study;
Quantitative study «Prevalence and causes of sexual violence among 13 to 16-year-old boys and girls in Latvia»
3. Develop and implement community-based interventions, especially those targeting men, to raise awareness of sexual exploitation and sexual violence against children and young people, as well as to promote attitudes of intolerance towards violence (including the phenomenon of victim blaming) against and among children and adolescents.
Activities:
Forum «Rise!»
Active participation in political processes (reviewing and implementing draft laws; participation in the ratification process of the Istanbul Convention; reviewing the Media Law, cooperation with the State Police and Social Services, etc.)
Courage to Care! Violence Prevention in Youth Environments
Project name: Courage to Care! Violence Prevention in the Youth Environment.
Project implementation period: 01.01.2018. – 31.12.2020.
Project implementation locations: Riga, Riga district, Vidzeme, Latgale, Zemgale, Kurzeme.
Project partners: Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia; US Embassy in Latvia, Small Grants program; MADARA COSMETICS, AS; Latvian schools, youth centers and educational institutions.
Project financier: OAK Foundation
Project objectives:
1. Capacity building in working with children and youth by developing and piloting a culture-specific methodology aimed at preventing violence against children and youth, as well as providing training for education specialists for its implementation.
Activities:
Informative study «What concepts of gender roles and stereotypes influence violence among young people?»
Methodology development;
A campaign created by young people.
2. Reduce risk factors for adolescents entering violent relationships by developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to recognize, respond to and prevent violence against themselves and their peers.
Activities:
Creation of a youth forum;
Creation of groups for boys and girls (13-16 years old) in various Latvian schools, youth centers, and orphanages;
Methodology impact study;
Quantitative study «Prevalence and causes of sexual violence among 13 to 16-year-old boys and girls in Latvia»
3. Develop and implement community-based interventions, especially those targeting men, to raise awareness of sexual exploitation and sexual violence against children and young people, as well as to promote attitudes of intolerance towards violence (including the phenomenon of victim blaming) against and among children and adolescents.
Activities:
Forum «Rise!»
Active participation in political processes (reviewing and implementing draft laws; participation in the ratification process of the Istanbul Convention; reviewing the Media Law, cooperation with the State Police and Social Services, etc.)
2017
THIS APPLIES TO US!
Students of the Vocational Education Competence Center Riga School of Design and Art (PIKC RDMV), in collaboration with Marta Centre and within the framework of the creative partnership program RaPaPro, have created a series of postcards, comics, short films, and posters titled:
IT CONCERNS US!
The goal of this collaborative project was to provide future advertising and graphic designers the opportunity to explore a pressing social issue as part of their studies. In this case, the focus was on societal violence and its connection to existing stereotypes and gender roles, promoting an understanding of gender equality and its vital importance in every relationship and mutual interaction.
"At first, I read many stories online—real events experienced by children and their parents. For example, about a little boy who was forbidden from playing with a doll he brought from home to kindergarten. The teacher took it away and gave him a toy car instead, saying: 'Boys don’t play with things like that.' My work is partly based on this story, but I depicted a monster named 'Stereotype' instead of the teacher, because in real life, it can be anyone, not just a kindergarten teacher. I didn't realize before that gender stereotypes were such a widespread problem." — Amina Lučkova, author of the comic “Toys Have No Gender”
Researching the problem and the insights gained foster an understanding that helps students address their peers more effectively through graphic design. These young people are bright; they are not afraid to speak about fear, violence, and sexual orientation. The project was an opportunity to do so within the school curriculum using several "languages" simultaneously—infographics, posters, illustrations, videos, and digital solutions.
The project and the chosen topic gave the students a sense of satisfaction that their school, as an educational institution, is ready to keep up with the times and discuss themes relevant to them.
"I knew I wanted to create a comic where the main character is a boy my age. Adolescence is full of stress and emotional whirlwinds. I wanted to show how toxic the suppression of emotions is and how it affects daily life." — Kristiāna Poce, author of the comic “Stop Whining”
Years of experience in reducing domestic violence lead to one conclusion: to reduce violence in society—among children, youth, families, or in any other context—it is not enough to simply eliminate the consequences and support victims. We must work actively on prevention, explaining to young people what violence is, what its consequences are, how to prevent it, and how to avoid being violent toward others. It is especially important to touch upon these topics during the stage of life when young people begin to understand themselves and their place in the world. Our team at Marta Centre is gratified by the theme and results of this project. Firstly, the new generation of designers and creative professionals will be more sensitive to these issues, and secondly, a young person is best equipped to reach another young person.
Watch the short films here!
Comics:
Ketrīna Piese “Zīmētie stereotipi”
Aksels Paičs “Nav jēgas”
Amina Lučkova “Rotaļlietām nav dzimuma”
Antra Siliņa “Neesam vienādi”
Elizabete Lazdiņa “Kā justos tu?”
Enija Miezīte “Kurš būs drosmīgāks?”
Grieta Siliņa “pasaule ir lielāka, nekā lasīsi”
Jānis Pauls Rubens “Ielas galā”
Kristiāna Kalniņa “Uzspēlējam?”
Kamilla Ņikitjuka “Nav jāslēpj emocijas”
Kristiāna Poce “Beidz piņņāt”
Laura Strēle “Visi ir vienādi”
Liliāna Lūsiņa “Bailes no sevis”
Nansija Zande “Personības maska”
Ramona Proškina “Saturs svarīgāks nekā vāks”
Roberts Koreņiks “Neliec viņu kastē”
Project "One Step Closer: A Community-wide Response to Violence Against Women"
Project duration: February 1, 2017 - January 31, 2019
Project coordinator: Ministry of Welfare
Project partners: association "Centrs MARTA" and State Police
Project Associate Partners: Ministry of Justice and Latvian Rural Family Physicians Association
Project contract number: JUST/2015/RDAP/AG/MULT/9830
On February 1, 2017, the Ministry of Welfare, in cooperation with partners - the State Police and the association "Centrs MARTA", as well as associated partners - the Ministry of Justice and the Latvian Rural Family Physicians Association - has launched the implementation of the project "One Step Closer: A Common Community Response to Violence Against Women", co-financed by the European Union program "Rights, Equality and Citizenship".
The project aims to develop, test and implement a multisectoral, victim-centred institutional cooperation model in cases of violence against women - the Community Joint Response Model. The project will develop and provide professionals with tools (a risk assessment questionnaire and action guidelines) to act effectively and take into account the needs of victims. At the same time, the project plans to carry out public information activities, educating and involving regional media, as well as developing and distributing information materials to female victims and fellow citizens.
Project funding amount: 189,736.80 EUR (80% of the project is financed by the European Union's "Rights, Equality and Citizenship" program and 20% - the Latvian state budget).
Read more…
5 pilot projects implemented in 2018
Information for the media
Pilot project in Tukums municipality
Training seminars for journalists and media professionals
Materials created during the project
Final project evaluation
Project "Marta Community Center" Strengthening the activities of the Liepāja branch
The goal of the project is to support the work of the MARTA Liepāja branch to begin providing interdisciplinary team services to women and children who are victims of violence and human trafficking, as well as to begin preventive work with young people to prevent violence in the territory of Liepāja city and the former Liepāja district.
Recognizing the high prevalence of violence in Latvian society, MARTA works at the national level, both providing services to women and children who have been victims of violence and human trafficking, and preventively working with young people. In order to ensure sustainable work in the Kurzeme region and to make services more accessible to victims of this region and to involve more young people from this region, MARTA decided in March 2016 to establish a MARTA Liepāja branch, which will focus on implementing MARTA activities at the Kurzeme regional level.
This project aims to strengthen the institutional and human resource capacity of the MARTA Liepāja branch in order to start working in the territory of the former Liepāja district (approximately 110,000 inhabitants), providing interdisciplinary team (social worker, psychologist and lawyer) services to victims of violence and human trafficking and implementing preventive work methods developed by MARTA in work with young people.
Direct target group of the project: branch employees and young volunteers. Indirect target group: women and children victims of violence and human trafficking, young people and social service providers in the Liepāja district.
The main activities planned in the project:
Creation and capacity building of an interdisciplinary team (social worker, psychologist and lawyer) for working with victims (training, mentoring and supervision) and integration of these services into the social services system in the Liepāja district;
Adaptation of violence prevention methods with young people and their implementation in the work of the branch;
Strengthening the institutional capacity and sustainable development of the branch by providing branch management and facilities and developing a financial mobilization plan and branch operational strategy for 3 years.
Project implementation period: 01.03.2017. – 31.10.2017.
The project is financially supported by the Society Integration Fund from the Latvian state budget.
EU project - "WHOSEFVA - Working in healthcare organizations to support older women victims of violence" (2017 - 2018)
Elder abuse is a global problem that directly impacts on human rights, gender equality, domestic violence and the ageing population. The feminisation of ageing and its consequences are of concern because older women, as a social group, are often in ambiguous and difficult circumstances. This group of women is exposed to multiple risks at the same time – age discrimination, unacceptable behaviour and gender discrimination.1 Consequently, gender discrimination has a cumulative effect over a woman’s life, meaning that older women are the most vulnerable to violence.
Alternative channels are needed to identify older women victims of violence, as even when identified, they may not always receive adequate assistance, as they often live in difficult circumstances, such as long-term dependency, health problems or economic vulnerability. Health care providers can play a crucial role in providing support, as they offer a variety of contact points that can help identify victims of domestic violence and provide services.
WHOSEFVA, a two-year project under the Daphne programme of the European Commission, aims to address the barriers and gaps in healthcare settings that prevent effective support for older women who have experienced violence. The WHSOEFVA project is implemented in six partner countries: Austria, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia and the United Kingdom. The project is coordinated by the Estonian Women’s Support and Information Centre, with the leadership and support of Sirkka Perttu, a Finnish expert on violence against the elderly.
The main task of WHSOEFVA is to increase the capacity of organizations working with domestic violence issues so that they can better represent the interests and rights of older women victims of violence in healthcare and healthcare policy, thus helping to achieve compliance with the desired EU settings.
A WHOSEFVA Training Manual will be developed to train organizations addressing domestic violence on how best to work with healthcare providers. Experts will train partners to successfully deliver 33 training workshops involving 734 healthcare professionals and individuals from organizations working on domestic violence, and will identify barriers within healthcare organizations to effectively meet the needs of older women victims of violence. Training on health and social care issues will be held in all partner countries, aiming to educate healthcare professionals on how to effectively implement the training tools and good practice protocols. The training materials will be publicly available on the project website and will be translated into Estonian, Finnish, German, Greek and Latvian.
To ensure more effective training outcomes and sustainability at European level, a WHOSEFVA online training programme will be developed based on the training materials to strengthen the capacity of organisations working on domestic violence issues to work with healthcare providers to better identify abused older women and meet their needs.
The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia is a co-financier and supporter of the project
WHOSEFVA partner contact information:
Women's Support and Information Center, Estonia, Pille Tsopp-Pagan: pille.tsopp-pagan@naistetugi.ee
University of Tartu, Estonia, Hector Pagan: hector@ut.ee
Finnish Women's Line, Finland, Elina Nikulainen: elina.nikulainen@naistenlinja.fi
expert Sirkka Perttu, Finland: slperttu@gmail.com
Kilcooley Women's Centre, United Kingdom, Roberta Gray: roberta@kilcooleywomenscentre.co.uk
2016
Forum "Rise!"
The "Celies!" Forum is an initiative of the MARTA Center established in 2016 with the aim of promoting gender equality. The Celies Forum works to reduce gender-based violence and discrimination, promote healthy relationships among peers, and raise awareness, responsibility, and participation of men and boys in reducing violence against women and children.
More info - HERE!
MARTA Center as an associate partner in the project “Universities Supporting Victims of Sexual Violence: Sustainable Service Training”
The research project was led by Brunel University London in collaboration with 7 national and 6 associate partners across Europe (including Latvia). The project developed innovative training material for university staff with the aim of raising awareness and providing knowledge on how to recognise and respond to cases of sexual violence in universities.
Training material in Latvian
International best practices – how to respond to cases of sexual violence in universities
Project implementation period: March 2016 to November 2017.
Project funder: European Commission Directorate-General for Justice, Equality and Citizenship (DAPHNE) programme.
Project website: http://usvreact.eu
2015
Men's initiative: the courage to care
Project objectives:
Reduce sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and similar forms of violence against girls and boys.
Involve men in working with youth and society to:
strengthen boys' and men's understanding of the sexual violence they have experienced;
encourage reporting it;
promote equality between girls and boys.
Strengthen the capacity of state institutions by training specialists who work with children and youth on a daily basis.
Project activities:
To promote the protection of children's rights and the prevention of violence in Latvia, to monitor the implementation of legal acts.
Counsel families who have experienced sexual violence.
Conduct research on the sexual exploitation of boys in Latvia.
Involve men in non-formal education work with boys.
Create a Men's Forum.
Organize two public campaigns.
To develop the use of preventive methods in working with young people to prevent violence.
Project implementation period: 01.01.2015. – 31.12.2017.
Project implementation locations: Riga, Riga district, Vidzeme, Latgale, Zemgale, Kurzeme.
Project partners: "Status M", "Care North West Balkans", Latvian schools, youth centers.
Project financier: OAK Foundation.
2014
Interreg Latvia – Lithuania Programme 2014 – 2020 project: “Women and children – safe in their city” (“Safe City”), project No. LLI-392
Recent studies show that Latvia and Lithuania are among the European countries where domestic violence against women is higher than the average in the European Union. A European-wide study conducted in 2014 by the European Agency for Fundamental Rights found that 32% of women in Latvia and 24% of women in Lithuania have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from their partners. 60% of women in Latvia and 51% of women in Lithuania have experienced emotional violence from their partners. Many women feel unsafe in their families and intimate relationships, and local governments play a key role in providing protection and support to victims of violence.
The aim of the project is to reduce domestic violence in Liepāja and Klaipėda. The project will establish and improve support and advisory services for women and children who have experienced domestic violence. These services will be based on an interdisciplinary team approach, where a social worker, lawyer and psychologist work as a single team to help victims end violent relationships and start a life without violence. At the same time, the project will focus on improving cooperation between institutions in order to address domestic violence more effectively. Experience exchange visits between specialists from Liepāja and Klaipėda – social workers, psychologists, police officers, etc., a study on the needs of victims and the availability of services, joint training for representatives of responsible institutions and the development of guidelines for professionals working with domestic violence cases are planned. In order to ensure support services for victims of violence and the sustainability of the cooperation model in the cities of Liepāja and Klaipėda, the project will develop a Strategic Development Plan for Interdisciplinary Cooperation 2019–2024 and a cooperation plan between institutions in Liepāja and Klaipėda.
It is planned that during the implementation of the project, 120 female victims and 40 child victims will receive support and advisory services. After the implementation of the project, it is planned that 100 women and 50 children will continue to receive these services annually.
Project partners:
Association “Centrs MARTA” (LV) – leading partner
Liepāja City Council Social Service (LV)
Klaipeda Social and Psychological Services Center (LT)
Klaipeda Family and Child Welfare Center (LT)
More information about the program is available at www.latlit.eu , the official EU website is available here: www.europa.eu
This project is financed by the European Union. The total cost of the project is 209,467.16 EUR. The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund with 178,047.06 EUR.
This publication has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the MARTA Centre and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the official position of the European Union.
