
The Amalipe Center is organizing a week to combat violence against women
November 25 has been declared International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It was proclaimed as such by UN General Assembly Resolution 54/134 of 17 December 1999. In this regard, the Amalipe Center is organizing a week to combat violence against women, in which various initiatives can involve schools, educational mediators, activists, active youth, etc.
We must talk about violence – constantly, uncompromisingly, convincingly, until everyone begins to notice it (in all its forms and manifestations), react and accept as inadmissible its existence. The more we talk about the topic, the more small steps each of us takes, the faster we will break stereotypes, gather strength and courage, stop feeling guilty for provoking it and just have the strength and courage to stand up and let’s be ourselves.
In Bulgaria, violence against women is a stereotyped topic associated with many taboos and prejudices. The topic in the Roma community is even more loaded with stereotypes. This motivates the Amalipe Center to get involved as a partner in several international initiatives aimed at empowering Roma women and overcoming traditional practices that have negative consequences for the equal access of Roma women. The perception of Roma women of domestic violence is closely linked to the perception of gender in the Roma community and the distribution of roles according to gender. At the same time, this is not a single concept, but a whole set of concepts that depend on various factors, such as group affiliation, level of modernization, etc. One of the most serious factors influencing the change of attitudes is the level of modernization and the frequency of contacts with the macro-society. In this sense, the concepts in different Roma groups are different, as the level of integration is also different. For example, in the group of miners, women’s emancipation is stronger than in other groups. In the group of more traditional and closed communities, emancipation is very low, as in the group of Kaldarashi and Burgundians. Therefore, the activities on which the Amalipe Center works as a priority are in two directions:
- organizing activities, creating mechanisms for empowering Roma women, increasing their education, motivating them to be active citizens and work to change their lives, their community and our society as a whole
- counteracting all forms of violence and taking initiatives to change attitudes and tolerance towards violence (and especially violence against women) in the Roma community
More detailed information about them, you can read below:
In connection with November 25 – International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Amalipe Center organizes a week to combat violence against women, which with various initiatives can include schools, educational mediators, activists, active youth and others.
How you can get involved if you want to celebrate the week of combating domestic violence:
- Organize a community discussion about what domestic violence is, how to recognize it, what its manifestations are, how each of us can help. Gather mothers from the parents’ club (if the conditions allow it and in compliance with all anti-epidemic measures). You can find materials on this here. You are free to use the posters, brochures and videos we have developed in the course of our various activities.
- Organize an information campaign – you can post materials, posters and hand out brochures – you are free to print them from our page or write to us and send you materials
- Organize an online discussion with:
- parents
- students
If you are in ORES or your parents are already accustomed enough to online forms of education, make the meeting online
4. Join our online selfie campaign “Don’t be a pass – the key is in us”. Print out the message we made or write your own and upload a selfie with NeBudiPas and the hashtag #KlyuchatEVNAS and the hashtag #Amalipe
Be active !!! November 25 is the day, but our campaign is not limited to this day! We will continue until the end of the week and beyond!
Because every woman has the right to live her dreams!
PATTERN (Prevent And CombaT domesTic Violence against Roma Women) is a European initiative that aims to empower Roma women to recognize domestic violence, be aware of the support mechanisms available and act as leaders of change in their communities. At the same time, it aims to provide professionals with the necessary knowledge that will enable them to respond effectively to cases of domestic violence against Roma women.
What did we learn about violence against women in the Roma community?
In the course of the PATTERN project activities we prepared an analysis of domestic violence in the Roma community, which was based on existing training and 40 in-depth interviews with women from different Roma groups in Bulgaria, from which we found that violence against women is:
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Domestic violence is not a phenomenon only in the Roma community: domestic violence is more common in the Roma community not because of Roma culture, but because in some conservative groups the traditional patriarchal practices are still preserved on the one hand and because of conservative For women, they are less informed, less aware and less supportive and responsive.
- The perception of Roma women of domestic violence is strongly subordinated to the community’s understanding of gender roles in the community, the alleged behavior of men and women, the subordinate role of women and hierarchical relations in the community.
- There is a strong attitude in the Roma community that every second woman is a victim of violence.
- Many Roma women suffer from domestic violence, but often remain silent, as it is widespread that these are internal family problems that must remain in the household.
- the group affiliation and the specifics associated with each group are important, but the educational level, the type of settlement in which the woman lives and her profession are more important.
- Roma women’s understanding of domestic violence has increased in recent years
- the number of women who associate domestic violence not only with physical characteristics but also with the general negative impact on the victim, including psychological impact, is growing. This means that sensitivity to this issue has increased.
- we can divide women into three categories:
– those who do not acknowledge the existence of violence and deny that certain manifestations are violence;
– second, women who realize how destructive and dangerous violence is, but still cannot overcome their own prejudices and the stereotypes of their community;
– third, women who have found the strength to openly reject all forms of violence and are willing to respond regardless of the consequences.
- low-educated women who have married early and who have no social experience outside the family tend to perceive violence as normal and part of the modus vivendi.
- most victims do not have the confidence to react and assert their rights.
- Roma women do not trust the institutions that they will help them if they turn to them for support in case of domestic violence
- Domestic violence is opposed mainly by women who have self-confidence, education and support
- Roma women victims of domestic violence need someone to protect them not only from the criminal but also from the institutions
- The mediator figure in the Roma community is the most trusted person for victims of domestic violence
RTransform is an international initiative aimed at the active inclusion of Roma women and girls in social life and the guarantee of their rights. The project focuses on promoting equal access to quality and inclusive education, training and lifelong learning for Roma women. The main idea is to create a bridge between Roma women and young girls, to build an environment of trust and continuity, which will be an opportunity for dialogue and debate between different countries.
For 18 years, our partners from Drom Kotar have been organizing the so-called “Roma Women Student Gathering” (RWSG), an initiative organized with the active participation of Roma women from all over Europe to exchange experiences and ideas for successful educational integration and demonstrate role models in the community to inspire other Roma women and girls.
The aim of the initiative is to encourage active Roma women from different localities to unite other women around them, with which to create a space in which to discuss the topics described above, to create support, motivation and opportunities for development.
More about November 25, what the Amalipe Center is doing and the materials we have done so far, you can see here.