Crisis Centre for VAW victims and survivors launched in Akhmeta
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UN Women in Georgia continues its work towards strengthening the effective and quality services for women victims and survivors of violence. In this domain, one of the priority areas is to expand the network of shelters and crisis centres in the capital and in the regions, as well as to enhance access to relevant services.
Although the rates of disclosure of violence against women (VAW) and domestic violence (DV) have increased in Georgia in recent years, discriminatory gender stereotypes and social norms still prevent many women from speaking up about violence, seeking help and using relevant services. Due to this factor, some cases of violence remain undisclosed. According to the 2022 National Study on Violence against Women conducted by UN Women and Geostat, more than one third (38.2 per cent) of women who experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner told no one about the violence.
The problem persists in the Kakheti region, where a crisis centre was launched for VAW victims and survivors at the beginning of this year with the support of UN Women and the Government of Sweden. On 23 July 2024, a representative of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Eva Atterlov Frisell, along with UN Women representatives visited the crisis centre in Akhmeta.
The Akhmeta Crisis Centre is operating in cooperation with UN Women’s local partner, the Kakheti Regional Development Foundation (KRDF). According to KRDF director Iza Bekauri, the Akhmeta Crisis Centre will enable many women to speak up about the problem of violence and to seek help.
“For years, we have been working with women living in different municipalities, and we know that many of the women who experience violence prefer to go to a place where their confidentiality will be protected as much as possible,” Ms. Bekauri points out. “Being less crowded, Akhmeta is the right town for this purpose, and this is why it is very important to have a crisis centre here. Our organization has been known and trusted throughout the region for years. This is a great motivating factor for VAW victims or survivors to seek and receive help [from us].”
The Akhmeta Crisis Centre offers legal counselling, psychological rehabilitation and social worker services to women victims and survivors of violence. There is also a children’s room at the Centre, where mothers can temporarily leave their children while using the services.
It is noteworthy that the KRDF also offers opportunities for interested individuals to participate in trainings and vocational education courses, which is especially important for the economic empowerment of women and girls who are the victims or survivors of violence.
The Akhmeta Crisis Centre was opened within the framework of the UN Joint Programme for Gender Equality (UNJP4GE), implemented with the generous support of the Government of Sweden.