Homelike: together against violence

 

 

The goal of the project Homelike: together against violence is to start legal work and mobile advisory centres in the cities of Prague and Ostrava for homeless women or/and women in an oppressive social situation who encountered violence in their lives. These centres will provide legal and social consulting in the streets and at places where these women are. The project is based on findings from the past years that women in the threat of violence and living in the street very often refuse to seek help at the regular advisory and aid centres. Among other reasons it is because the regular low-threshold centres are hardly reachable for homeless women and they lack feeling of safety and a certain level of intimacy there; or these centres simply do not offer the needed service for them. Our project innovatively suggests providing the menaced women with services and with mobile consulting directly where they are, moreover with an emphasis put on an individual approach. These women in oppressive situation who are afflicted with violence will also be subsequently engaged to take active part in the project, too (research, campaign, bootstrap unit etc.), which can considerably help them to cope with their own situation. Project takes place in Praha and Ostrava.

There are several partner organizations involved in the project: In Iustitia, ASLIDO (Action Group with Homeless People), Persefona, Intervention Centre Praha, Association of Social Workers and Norwegian organization KUN (Center for gender equality).

Outreach program for homeless women in Prague suffering violence provided by In Iustitia:

free phone line: 800 922 922

Outreach program for homeless women in Ostrava suffering violence provided by ASLIDO:

+420 732 865 007

In the scope of the project there is a self-help group available for homeless women who have experienced violence in Prague and Ostrava. Women have also possibility to take part in relaxing, therapy and free time activities that help to increase their self-esteem.

In September 2015, we organized an international workshop Together against violence: what should people in heling positions know about violence against women. Discussed topics: Gender perspective of homelessness in the Czech Republic, Violence against women in the Czech Republic, Norwegian perspective: violence against women and its effects on the victims, what a social worker working with women affected by domestic/close relationship violence needs to know, Focus on homeless women and self-reliance: user involvement, “help to self-help” and capacity building, story/experience of a homeless women that went the path from a night shelter client to its employer.  Findings from the workshop will be published in a publication.

An expert group of people in helping position was set up in Prague and Ostrava, who are meeting regularly and discussing women’s homelessness and violence against women.

Homeless women, members of the Action Group with Homeless People prepared a performance and graphic exhibition Women on a Road to empower women who are in difficult living and social situation and experienced violence.

Contact person: Alexandra Dolezelova, alexandra.dolezelova(at)jakodoma.org

The Project is being supported by the Open Society Fund Prague from the Let’s Give (Wo)men a Chance programme, financed from Norway Grants. With Norway Grants, Norway contributes towards a reduction in economic and social disparity and the strengthening of mutual cooperation in Europe. It promotes, above all else, environmental protection, research and scholarships, civil society development, health care, children, gender equality and an improvement in the efficiency of justice. The Let’s Give Women a Chance programme promotes equal opportunities for women and men both in their work and personal lives as well as prevention and help for victims of domestic and gender-based violence in the Czech Republic. It is operated by the Open Society Fund Prague, which has been developing values of open society and democracy in the Czech Republic since 1992.

www.osf.cz
eeagrants.org
www.dejmezenamsanci.cz