Eva Michálková

11/15/2021

Center for victims of sexual violence

We are establishing a comprehensive and specialized centre for victims of sexual violence with support from Norway Grants.

The project responds to barriers in the system of assistance to victims of sexual violence and the lack of access to specialized and professional services. One in two women in the Czech Republic experiences some form of sexual violence or sexual harassment. One in ten women is a victim of rape. Yet there is no specialised and comprehensive centre for these victims in the Czech Republic. Such centres are common abroad: in Norway and Ireland, for example, there are centres in every region. Thus, the Czech Republic does not meet the minimum standards and recommendations of the Council of Europe in the area of assistance to victims of gender-based violence.

We are addressing this situation within the framework of a project supported by the Norwegian Funds under the Human Rights Programme.

The project will allow us to establish a unique Centre for Victims of Sexual Violence (and victims of domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence with a sexual aspect), where they will have access to a comprehensive set of specialised services to ensure adequate assistance and support. Victims will find social services there, including crisis assistance, legal counselling, psychotherapy, criminal justice support (access to a special interview room, collection of samples and evidence) and basic medical treatment. This timely and quality assistance to victims of sexual violence will contribute to the mitigation of the negative impact of the violence experienced and the stigmatisation of victims, furthermore, it will help to exercise victims' rights and empowerment, and consequently, it will contribute to the improvement of their quality of life.

During the project, we will also initiate and strengthen interdisciplinary cooperation and education of the professionals in a trauma-sensitive approach, thereby reducing the risk of secondary victimization of victims and improving the coherence of the various institutions assisting victims.

The project partners are Prague 6 Municipality and the Crisis Centre in Fredrikstad (Norway).
 

The project Centre for Victims of Sexual Violence is financed by the Norwegian Funds and is implemented from 1.11.2021 to 30.4.2024.

Contact person for this project and its coordinator is Iva Peterková (iva.peterkova@profem.cz).

You can find more about Norway grants on following websites: eeagrants.cz or eeagrants.org