NGOs Association

Opportunity for NGOs: to unite against gender-based violence. To get involved, to partner please send your e-mail to Этот адрес электронной почты защищен от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра.

We all differ but there are problems which unite us all

This motto is, probably, one of the most important at a round-table discussion which took place within “Knowledge Can Stop Gender-Based Violence” project and united representatives of different NGOs in Samara.

Every participant appeared to have faced the problem of gender-based violence affecting his / her mentees. Exact problems differ really much: for one organization psychological abuse is the most crucial problem, for another one it is physical abuse. Also, there are more special directions which may often be unnoticed for the public but rest important. For example, Charity Foundation “Vector of Life” shared its experience of the so called HIV-dissidence – a form of psychological abuse when a person prevents his / her relatives from taking HIV-therapy which results in real danger for both health and life.

Also, NGO representatives spoke about most typical problems in interacting with victims of violence: lack of information and competence, lack of psychological and educational resources for those who assist survivors, disunity, lack of legal knowledge. It became obvious: even if several organizations unite their resources while meeting one call for help, their activity becomes more effective. That is why one of the recommendations was the following: to start a resource center where one can get information on gender-based violence and start looking for a way-out.

Anastasia Polyaeva, psychologist:

“First of all, I was impressed by the width of the problem field – so many directions which are to be taken into consideration. Surely, we need a systematic approach. I started to shape my own viewpoint. I realized that, you know, in our society here psychological violence is such an everyday, “normal” way of behavior, of relations, of up-bringing. People do not even differentiate. Neither they realize what’s going on. Violence is recognized only when there’re physical signs. If ever recognized at all… But all starts with small signs and that’s where we shall start prevention – explain what violence is, what behavior is abusive, and what to do if it happens. So this topic is really wide and deep. I wish we would stop reducing violence to physical one. Also, I never knew that there are so many NGOs in Samara. It was very useful for me to learn about them”.

Oksana Berezovkaya, chairman, “Avers”:

“I’m interested in further partnership. It is an interesting project. We need to create a non-violence coalition: to unite those who fight against violence, to estimate our resources, to find points of interactions, to set a general goal and smaller aims, to work out a schedule for 6 months, for a year, for 3, 5 years and start implementing it. Unfortunately, we had not enough time at the first discussion but I’m sure it is a good start. We shall continue”.

Tatyana Borisova, a project manager, “Stoma Vmeste”:

“I was surprised how little I know about violence! It appeared that many of my colleagues face with it while working with mentees, and me, too”.

Svetlana Chernova, lawyer, volunteer:

“Thank you for this opportunity to participate! I was glad to get acquainted with our colleagues. Me and my mates, we shared our experience of dealing with gender-based violence. For Samara NGOs this topic is complicated: even when assisting professionals face with violence they do not recognize it, they have no knowledge though it has already been worked out and collected years ago at the level of international community and human rights. As I see it, your project aims to overcome this problem. Me and my colleagues, we would be really glad to assist in it. At this first meeting we, participants of the discussion, realized that some of our values, viewpoints and methods differ. But I guess that anti-violence partnership may make us closer”.

Guidelines to assisting professionals who work with survivors