Presentation Transcript

1. BRIDGING GAPSFROM GOOD INTENTIONS TO GOOD COOPERATION

   MULTI-AGENCY COOPERATION IN TAKLING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN Malta, 20th November 2009 Maria Rösslhumer WAVE (Women Against Violence Europe)

2. WAVE is …

   an informal network of European women’s NGOs working in the field of combating violence against women and their children was founded in 1994 - inspired by the Vienna Declaration and the World Conference on Human Rights (1993). responsible body:Austrian Women’s Shelter Network (AÖF) in Vienna

3. WAVE is one part of AÖF

4. WAVE aims…

   at the goals of the United Nations, stressing the importance of working towards ending all forms of violence against women and children in public and private life in accordance with Vienna Declaration on Violence against Women, CEDAW declaration, Recommendation 19 and Optional Protocol Beijing Platform for Action and all other related documents Council of Europe Recommendations 2002(5) Women's Rights are Human Rights

5. WAVE structure is formed…

   by about almost 100 Focal Points in 47 European countries at the regional and national level. The WAVE network comprises approximately 4000women's organisations for combating violence against women and children in Europe: shelters, helplines, counselling centres, intervention centres

6. WAVE Focal Points are …

   national networks/roof organisations/ umbrella organisation of women NGOs primary source of information geographical distribution of information participation at the annual WAVE - Conference

7. WAVE objectives …

   strengthening the organisational and lobbying capacity of women’s NGOs by analyzing and disseminating information in relation to male violence against women and children on European and global trends supporting the institutional development of the sector as a whole, through a multi-stakeholder approach

8. WAVE activities …

   Lobbying: Support for partner NGOs, Awareness raising campaigns, monitoring, quality standards control, etc. WAVE – annual conferences WAVE - Training Seminars for various professional groups: social workers, police, health and justice system, media WAVE - Newsletter - (monthly) WAVE - Fempower - (biannual ) WAVE - Country Report - (annual) Study Visits to Austria International Cases of DV: Victim support

9. WAVE

10. CONTRY REPORT OUTCOME 2008 According to Recommendation of the EU-Parliament, there should be one shelter place for 10.000 inhabitants. CoE recommends one place per 7.500 inhabitants. In Europe WAVE countet 2.060 women‘s shelters, providing approx. 20.000 places. Yet there should be 80.000 according to EU. Only 3 European Countries fullfill recommendation of CoE.

11. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN

    Domestic Violence is still a serious problem in the European Union countries and in whole Europe, affecting hundreds of thousands of people, the majority of them women and children, every day.

12. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN

    Since the 1970s, help services for women and children victims of domestic violence have been developed and expanded in the Western European Countries, thanks to the efforts of the women’s movement/women’s shelter movement against domestic Violence and committed State authorities.

13. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN

    In the 1990s, in the post-communist era, services for women and children victims of violence also emerged in Eastern European countries and what where to become the new member states of the European Union.

14. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN

    Several Countries introduced new laws to protect victims and prevent further violence. The Situation is especially precarious in a few new EU Member States, where women’s shelters are non-existent or too few (CEDAW complaint against the State of Hungary 2006)

15. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN

    Services are also lacking in other countries of the EU, with the consequence that women are often unable to leave a violent husband/partner because there is no alternative available to them. Effective laws are still not in place in every country, or they are poorly implemented and fail to reach the goal of effectively protecting victims.

16. GOOD INTENTIONS ARE NOT ENOUGH...

    Good intentions are not enough to effectively tackle DV against women and children, good practice and effective cooperation among all agencies involved are also needed.

17. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN

    Violence against Women and children is a serious and dangerous problem. Women and children are regularly killed or severely injured, especially when the victims try to leave the violent partners.

18. ALL IMPORTANT AGENCIES SHOULD BE INVOLVED..

    Therefore all agencies involved in the issue, especially the police and the justice system, have a responsibility to protect the victims, to prevent further violence an to provide the best and most effective services and interventions. Also the health system has to be involved.
19. If basic services for victims (women’s shelters, women’s helpline, child care services, counselling centres also for migrant women etc..) are not available, multi- agency cooperation easily becomes inefficient of meanless. IF SPECIAL SERVICES ARE NOT AVAILABLE.....
20. For example, if a doctor in a health service is sensitised to the problem and realises the a victim in acute danger, but cannot refer the victim in a safe shelter, preventive work is impossible. Or if the Police do not have enough patrol cars and staff to respond to a domestic violence emergency call their help come too late. EXAMPLES....

21. A NETWORK OF WOMEN’S SERVICES AS A PREREQUISITE FOR EFFECTIVE MULTI-AGENCY COOPERATION

    The most important prerequisite for effective multi-agency cooperation is the existence of adequate services for survivors of violence in all regions and country.

22. A NETWORK OF WOMEN’S SERVICES AS A PREREQUISITE FOR EFFECTIVE MULTI-AGENCY COOPERATION

    Adequate resources for all services and institutions involved in domestic violence cases are a prerequisite for successful interventions and effective cooperation.

23. A NETWORK OF WOMEN’S SERVICES AS A PREREQUISITE FOR EFFECTIVE MULTI-AGENCY COOPERATION

    To escape violent relationships is difficult and dangerous. Therefore, the provision of safe housing in women’s shelters is a core task of every society. Laws for protection are indispensable, but it should be noted they do not provide a solution for every survivors.

24. A NETWORK OF WOMEN’S SERVICES AS A PREREQUISITE FOR EFFECTIVE MULTI-AGENCY COOPERATION

    Experience with the Austrian Protection Against Violence Act has shown that the number of women and children seeking help in women’s shelters has not declined since the law was enacted. Thus, what is needed is both effective laws and safe housing in shelters.

25. A NETWORK OF WOMEN’S SERVICES AS A PREREQUISITE FOR EFFECTIVE MULTI-AGENCY COOPERATION

    Every country/region should provide a comprehensive network for services for women and children victims of DV.
26. At least one nationwide emergency women’s helpline operating round the clock, free of charge, counselling in several languages Nationwide, an adequate number of places in women’s shelters (minimum of one place per 10.000 inhabitants) round-the-clock service, free transport to shelters GOOD PRACTICE INDICATORS IN THE PROVISION OF SERVICES FOR SURVIVORS
27. Adequate safety standards in women’s shelters Nationwide network of counselling and intervention centres (one centre per 50.000 inhabitants) Rape crisis centres (one centre per 20.000 inhabitants) GOOD PRACTICE INDICATORS IN THE PROVISION OF SERVICES FOR SURVIVORS
28. Pro active approach: If a case of violence becomes public, the victims must be actively contacted be the women’s help organisation or intervention centre and offered help. Outreach services GOOD PRACTICE INDICATORS IN THE PROVISION OF SERVICES FOR SURVIVORS
29. Adequate help for specific and vulnerable groups: migrant women, members of ethnic minorities, women with special needs Comprehensive help for children GOOD PRACTICE INDICATORS IN THE PROVISION OF SERVICES FOR SURVIVORS
30. Women’s Services should be run by experienced, independent women’s NGOs in partnership with the State authorities. Adequate financing of women’s services by the state Services for victims should be free of charge GOOD PRACTICE INDICATORS IN THE PROVISION OF SERVICES FOR SURVIVORS
31. Abuser programmes – they need to be integrated in an overall intervention sheme and coupled with legal protection and support for the victim. Perpetrator programmes must always cooperate with women’s support services. GOOD PRACTICE INDICATORS IN THE PROVISION OF SERVICES FOR SURVIVORS

32. DV IN AUSTRIA – FACTS & FIGURES

    every 5th woman is likely to experience DV 3220: 1.600 women + 1.620 children in women’s shelters (2008)‏ 6.566 eviction orders against perpetrators were issued by the Austrian police (2008)‏(almost every hour the police has an operation concerning domestic violence) 70 percent of all homicides nationwide happened within the family, victims mostly women and children (2007)‏ 30-40 women are murdered by their partners/ex-partners every year CEDAW complaint Austria 2006 because of two femicides on migrant women.

33. HISTORY OF WOMEN’S SHELTERS SPECIAL SERVICES AND LAWS

    1972: 1st women’s shelter in Europe/London 1978: 1st women‘s shelter in Austria/Vienna 1988: Austrian Women‘s Shelter Network 1998: nationwide Women’s Helpline against male Violence 1997: Austrian legislation on protection against DV 2009: 30 women’s shelter and 6 Women’s counselling centres focused on violence against women 45-50 generally women’s service centres 6 regional hotlines for sexual violence, And 1 nationwide emergency women’s helpline, free of charge running 24 hours per dayin Vienna

34. HISTORY OF WOMEN’S SHELTERS, SERVICES AND LAWS

    Since: 1985 Men Counselling Centres (approx. 15) Since: 1999 One Perpetrator Programme Since 1994, contradictory and gentle hearing of women and children witnesses is legally ensured, so survivors can testify without meeting the perpetrator On January 1st of 2006, psychosocial and legal court accompaniment free of charge was introduced. All victims of violence or crime have the right to a professional accompaniment from the time of filing charges until the end of the criminal case.

35. HISTORY OF WOMEN’S SHELTERS, SERVICES AND LAWS

    Since 2006, an Anti-stalking law is in force, and female genital mutilation as well as forced marriage is a criminal offence. Since the amended victims of violence legislation in 2006, all victims of violence living in Austria (migrants, asylum seekers) have the right to therapy free of charge under certain circumstances, and the right to refund of rehabilitation expenses 1st of June 2009, the Second Act on Protection Against Violence entered into force
36. In several countries with a long tradition of services for women and children victims of violence, multi-agency cooperation had been developed since the 1990s, based on the fact that violence against women and children cuts across many areas and can only eliminated, if all the institutions dealing with the problem cooperate effectively. MULTI-AGENCY COOPERATION – THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
37. In the UK, multi-agency programmes started in the early 1990s. Germany, Austria and other countries followed by introducing new laws, national action plans, interventions projects and intervention centres to implementing new laws and new policies of coordinated response to domestic violence. MULTI-AGENCY COOPERATION – THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
38. Very different local and national initiatives can be subsumed under the term of multi-agency initiatives. There are no two initiatives the are exactly the some. Multi-agency projects are mostly grass-roots initiatives that have developed organically in their respective contexts. MULTI-AGENCY COOPERATION – THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
39. There is no “one model fits all” solution here. Models can serve as examples inspiring new initiatives, but they cannot simply be transfered from on context to another. MULTI-AGENCY COOPERATION – THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

40. INDICATORS OF EFFECTIVE MULTI-AGENCY APPROCHES

    Multi-agencies initiatives are not automatically effective. In some cases, they are no more than an indication of good will with little, if any practical results, or they remain mere “talking-shops”.

41. SOME INDICATORS OF EFFECTIVE MULTI-AGENCY APPROACHES

    are given below: Experts from women’s organisations play a central role The participating institutions are willing and competent to chance their own practice Cooperation goes beyond mere talk: Concrete, binding objectives are formulated, and projects are planned, implemented and evaluated.

42. SOME INDICATORS OF EFFECTIVE MULTI-AGENCY APPROACHES

    Each institution contributes the human and financial resources that are necessary to implement plans and achieve the set goals If resources are lacking, even close cooperation by all the institutions involved will hardly contribute to the improvement of the vicim’s situation.
43. Monitoring domestic Violence interventions and services Identifying gaps in service and improving services Coordinating service provision Developing policies and guidelines Initiating and organising trainings Engaging in preventive and awarness-raising work in the community. TASK FOR MULTI-AGENCY INITIATIVES:
44. Ideally, multi-agency initiatives should involve actors from all agencies dealing with domestic violence that play a role in improving service and Prevention. However, practice has shown that is not easy to get all the actors the same table. ACTORS INVOLVED
45. Activists from multi-agency initiatives have come to the conclusion that, in order to start a project that has a good chance of continuing for some times, it is not necessary to involve all the agencies from the beginning. On the contrary, too many participants can make it difficult to work in a goal-oriented way and to achieve concrete conclusion. ACTORS INVOLVED
46. It is important to start small Grow slowly in accordance with the resources available Act according to the principle: “Whoever it is committed to the cause is the right person” Seek to broaden the base and influence of the multi-agency initiatives Seek to involve member at both the management and the grass-roots level. ACTORS INVOLVED
47. There are Common characteristics that MAC initiatives share and differences that distinguish the from one other USA: known as „coordinated community response“ (evolved early 1980s) UK: „multi-agency work“ (hundreds of domestic violence forums have emerged since 1990s) MODELS OF MULTI-AGENCY COOPERATION
48. German, Austria, Switzerland have developed since the last 15 years Austria and Switzerland: „Interventionsstellen“, Intervention centres German: „Interventionsprogramme“, intervention programmes or Runde Tische „round tables“ MODELS OF MULTI-AGENCY COOPERATION
49. ... is the tailoring of services to special groups of victims, e.g. victims belonging to ethnic minorities, migrant communities or high risk victims. UK: MARACS (multy-agency-risk assessment conferences) installed in many regions to support very high risk victims NEW DEVELOPMENT IN MULTI-AGENCY COOPERATION WORK
50. NETWORKING AND MULTI-AGENCY COOPERATION MULTI-AGENCY COOPERATION AT THE POLICY-MAKING LEVEL MULTI-AGENCY SERVICES CATEGORIES OF MULTI-AGENCY INITIATIVES
51. ..is an informal way for agencies to work together. Takes place in multi-agency working groups It can be the first step towards more institutionalised multi-agency work A danger of this form of cooperation is that participants may never get past the first phase of exchanging ideas and learning from each other. NETWORKING
52. ..two agencies decide to work more closely together ...Can be the first step taken before involving more agencies Agencies often fear being „shamed and blamed“ in a big forum Bilateral cooperation can help to bild trust and to strengthen working relationships BILATERAL COOPERATION
53. Constitute a further step beyond networking and are characterisied by more binding forms of cooperations. These initiatives usually develop goals and working programmes and seek to actually improve services for survivors of violence. MULTI-AGENCY FORUM AND ROUND TABLE
54. involving senior policy makers from political and administrative bodies, institutions and agencies. The goals could be to develope action plans, progress reports together, better funding for services...implementing laws.. In this cooperation Women‘s NGOs should always integrated. AT THE POLICY-MAKING AND GOVERNMENTAL LEVEL
55. Institutionalised services- Intervention chain Police, justice and women‘s NGOs play an important role Austria: the implementation of the domestic violence act has been successful in establishing close cooperation between police, civil courts and intervention centres run by women‘s NGOs. Berlin: a mobile intervention team for the support of victims has been installed they can be called by the police to support them during their intervention UK: New coordinated services are the new Specialist DV Courts or the Specialist Prosecutor. MODELS OF MULTI-AGENCY-SERVICES
56. Special Multy-agency service: MARACs Special service for high risk victims in the UK in form of multi-agency risk-assessment conferences. The police identify victims with a high risk to repeat victimisation by applying risk-assassment instrument to all victims of DV. Several different agencies, NGOs are involved, They meet regulary to exange information and to evaluate their work. Evaluation research has shown, that the majority (60%) fo the victims supported by MARACs had not been revictimisied after one year. MODELS OF MULTI-AGENCY-SERVICES

57. WAVE Contact …

    WAVE- Office Bacherplatz 10/5 A-1050 Vienna-Austria Tel.: 0043-(0)-1-54827 20/21 Fax.: 0043-(0)-1-54827-27 E-mail: office@wave-network.org www.wave-network.org

58. Thanks

    for your attention