Amalipe Center Prepares Protocol on Domestic Violence for Roma Women: A Useful Guide for Professionals

In an effort to contribute to preventing and combating domestic violence against Roma women, PATTERN organizations, including the Amalipe Center, have developed Protocols on Domestic Violence against Roma Women to help and support professionals and mediators working with cases of domestic violence against Roma women.

Domestic violence against Roma women is not uncommon. Roma women who experience domestic violence face more difficulties due to poverty, social exclusion, discrimination and lack of social services in the areas where they live. They rarely report cases of domestic violence, as they are not sufficiently informed about the problem and which services to report.

The PATTERN initiative aims to empower Roma women and enhance their integration and full participation in society by raising awareness in Roma communities, informing women about their rights and available support mechanisms, and enabling professionals to respond effectively to domestic violence.

As part of the project, organizations from Spain, Bulgaria, Portugal, Greece and Romania have developed Domestic Violence Protocols for Roma women in order to enable professionals to respond to domestic violence against Roma women in a comprehensive and institutionalized way, including screening, identification assessment, documentation, safety planning, discharge planning and referral.

Taking into account the unique social characteristics of Roma women, each protocol provides basic guidance for mediators and professionals working in Roma communities and structures in the management of incidents of domestic violence against women.

The protocol offers a useful guide to managing domestic violence against Roma women, as it introduces experts to the basic terminology used in both international and national systems in relation to domestic violence, as well as the main forms of this phenomenon. It also lists the signs and factors that may indicate domestic violence, provides information on the incident reporting procedure and clarifies the roles and responsibilities of the professionals involved.

You can find the protocol here – PATTERN_D3.4__BG_Domestic Violence Protocol