We are the descendants of a patriarchal society in which gender inequality is in dominance. It has long been the case that the vast majority of resources and total power belonged to men. Women, as a rule, occupied a lower level of society, so they found themselves in a dependent position and were forced to take the position of a victim. Even a century later, little has changed in this situation. Men still use their privileged position both covertly and openly and do not shy away from violence against women. Moreover, it is the victim who is accused of provocation or slander, so women practically do not disclose cases of violence, let alone seek help. In this way, society creates favorable conditions for violence to flourish, leaving perpetrators unpunished. Moreover, gender-based violence has become so ingrained in people's everyday lives that neither women nor men who perpetrate violence notice its manifestations in their behavior.
The charitable organization "Peaceful Heaven of Kharkiv" is launching the project "Spread your wings". The project is aimed at reducing the incidence of gender-based violence in modern society.
Gender-based violence (GBV) in Ukraine mainly affects women. Every fifth (21%) of them is over 60 years old. At the age of 25-59, this percentage is 67%, at the age of 18-24 - 8%. But, as statistics show, one and the same woman can experience several forms of violence.
Men in Ukraine also suffer from GZN: in 5 cases out of 100.
In general, there is a lack of data on problems related to domestic violence, however, even the available indicators indicate a significant spread of incidents of violence in Ukraine and demonstrate a tendency to their growth: in 2018, 115,000 complaints and reports of domestic violence,
in 2019, their number increased by almost a quarter, in 2020 – by 50%. Almost 80% of them were submitted by women; the vast majority of victims have suffered repeated incidents of violence by their former or current intimate partners. The conflict in the East of Ukraine has exacerbated the problems with the GZN, increasing the number of cases of brutal violence. Women and girls believe they are at increased risk at entry-exit checkpoints and due to a higher military presence in certain residential areas.
The main goal of the project is to provide quality psycho-social, moral, legal, and economic assistance to women who are victims of violence by men in order to develop their volitional qualities such as determination, independence, sociability, self-confidence, and resilience; as well as to conduct rehabilitation activities to improve the emotional state of women. As part of the project, we plan to open psychosocial rehabilitation centers for women. In our centers, everyone can find support, a shoulder to cry on and qualified psychological help, escape from the hard everyday life, feel their own attractiveness and value, share their painful experiences, and, with the support of a social pedagogue, create a new model of their own life, exempt from weakness, offenders and fear.
Project activities:
1. Implementation of Women's Day on Sunday in psychosocial centers
2. Opening of two all-female psychosocial centers
3. Conducting rehabilitation activities to improve the psycho-emotional state of the beneficiaries: fitness, yoga classes, art therapy, creating a wish list, art coaching, etc.
4. Conducting home economics courses
5. Organizing group sessions and individual consultations with a psychologist
6. Organization of individual sessions with a social pedagogue
7. Organizing mentoring meetings
8. Assistance to women in obtaining legal advice
