Contributions
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EuroWRC: Sweden
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Contributions
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EuroWRC: Sweden |
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OPERATION KVINNOFRID INTERNATIONAL
http://www.ab.lst.se/kvifrid/operation.htm#2
A
EUROPEAN WIDE PROJECT
Operation Kvinnofrid
International (roughly Peace for Women) is a European wide project aiming at
raising awareness of men's violence against women, which is a tragic common
feature for all countries. From the far north to the south of Europe, experts
are co-operating to find new, innovative approaches to the problem of domestic
violence, and to create partnership in-between the Police, Health Services,
Social Services, Woman Organisations and Schools.
The first
step was a transnational meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, from October 15-17th,
1998, with the participation and support of the former European Commissioner
Anita Gradin.
(a
report is
coming out soon.)
The second step was to
create multi-agency groups between representatives for authorities and NGOs in
each participating region. Multi-agency groups working towards the same goal -
to counteract violence against women.
The third step was a transnational training activity and conference held on the
Åland Island, an autonomous region of Finland, from March 17th to 21st,
1999, with the participation and support from the Minister for Equal
Opportunities, Gun Carlson. The aim of the training was to increase the
knowledge about the issue of violence against women and to create a
transnational training network. At a meeting, experts and representatives from
different authorities were put together for innovative workshops, training and
exchange of ideas with colleagues from the participating European regions. More
than 70 persons attended this important event and discussed successful methods
for counteracting violence against women.
>>Read
more about it.(PDF:
244 KB/ 45 pages)
The fourth step was a
transnational meeting in Palermo from June 14-15th, with the support
from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry for Social Affairs in
Italy.
(a report comes
out in september.
)
The fifth step was to compile a book describing methods for counteracting
violence against women in a European perspective. "The Worst Scars are on
the Inside - Methods for counteracting violence against women" (Danilda
& Leander eds, 1999). The book can be ordered free of charge, the buyer only
paying postal charges, from the County Administrative Board of Stockholm,
please send a mail to: Gunilla Sterner at gunilla.sterner@ab.lst.se.
The sixth step will be a transnational meeting in Malmö, Sweden, from October
16-19th, 1999.
EUROPEAN
REGIONS IN PARTNERSHIP
The promoter and
co-ordinator of the transnational challenge "Kvinnofrid International"
- funded by the European Commission Medium-Term Action Programme on Equal
Opportunities for Men and Women (1996-2000) - is the County Administrative Board
of Stockholm, having developed in the last years an initiative called
Kvinnofrid, which roughly means "Peace for Women".
The
Kvinnofrid Initiative is being "exported" to different European
regions: Birmingham (UK), Malmö (Sweden), Sicily (Italy), Turku (Finland) and
Åland, thanks to a strong and passionate group of European partners, strongly
devoted to gender issues and acting as regional co-ordinators to spread and
adapt the Swedish method in their own regions.
The public and private bodies involved in Kvinnofrid International are NGOs
(Turku Women Center and La Luna Co-operative from Palermo) and authorities (Ålands
Landskapsstyrelse, South Birmingham College and the City of Malmö.
The partnership has a long-term commitment for counteracting violence against
women, common frames of reference and the intention of continuing the
co-operation The strengths of the partnership are; the fact that the partners
operate in different cultural contexts; in the south and north of Europe, in
cities and rural areas, as well as the fact that the partnership represents both
authorities and NGOs. The different experiences in the partnership combined with
the common objective of counteract violence against women forms a solid base for
the transnational work.
- Finally it's time say "stop" to the men's violence against women.
These were words from former Commissioner Anita Gradin, at the first partnership
meeting. Commissioner Gradin has always worked with women issues even before her
Brussels experience, and she gave her full support to Kvinnofrid International
and the partnership.
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