PROTECT – Preventing sexual and gender-based violence against migrants and strengthening support to victims project
The PROTECT – Preventing sexual and gender-based violence against migrants and strengthening support to victims project aims to support the coordination and/or adaptation of support services for sexual and gender-based violence victims and potential victims among refugees, migrants and asylum seekers (children and adults, including LGBTQI people). It is funded by the European Union's Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014-2020).
The project is implemented by 12 IOM country offices (Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Spain) and 8 NGO partners, Legebitra (Slovenia), Le monde selon les femmes abl (Belgium), Fundación EMET Arco Iris, Asociación Rumiñahui, Movimiento por la Paz (Spain), Arq Psychotrauma Expert Groep, Rutgers, and Pharos (Netherlands) between October 2018 and March 2020.
The overall objective of the project is to strengthen the capacities of existing national support services for sexual and gender based violence to coordinate better and make these systems available for refugee, migrant and asylum seeker victims and potential victims of SGBV. The project also aims to raise awareness among and empower these communities.
The project has the following specific objectives and activities which will be implemented during its 18-month project cycle. Most of the activities will be tailored to specific national context.
- Strengthen and adapt existing national support services for sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) to coordinate better and include refugees, migrants and asylum-seekers.
- Build capacity for professionals who work with and for refugees, migrants and asylum-seekers with the aim of identifying and addressing the needs of victims and potential victims of SGBV more effectively.
- Empower and inform refugee and migrant communities and asylum-seekers of SGBV and its prevention through a regional awareness-raising campaign.
The project will work closely with State authorities, first responders and service providers as well as refugees, migrants and asylum-seekers.
The PROTECT project developed country-specific information material on sexual and gender-based violence tailored to adults and children needs. The tailored material presents the services locally available for victims of sexual and gender-based violence. The project also produced a two-minute animated film which explains SGBV, designed for migrant audiences, and with subtitles available in 23 languages.