SGS 2019
Violence Against Women and Girls in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
In 2019 BEARR’s Small Grants Scheme funded CSO projects dealing with violence against women and girls in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
The Trust received a large number of applications for grants in 2019, showing the urgent need in the area chosen. 213 applications were received altogether, from Armenia (4), Azerbaijan (3), Belarus (15), Georgia (7), Kazakhstan (10), Kyrgyzstan (19), Moldova (2), Russia (37), Tajikistan (33), Turkmenistan (1), Ukraine (74), Uzbekistan (3), UK (4), France (1).
Fifteen grants were offered as follows:
Kitezh, Moscow, to build a network of shelters for women in Moscow and Moscow region, using networked IT to ensure women are not turned away unnecessarily. Read their project report here.
Womens League of Donechchyna, Mariupol, Ukraine, to strengthen the ability of employees of the crisis centre and mobile brigades to prevent and counter violence by preventing professional burnout and improving counselling skills. Read their project report here.
League of Polish Women, Chisinau, Moldova, to develop Playback Theatre as an instrument for the rehabilitation of victims of violence, by training actors in Playback techniques. Read their project report here.
Winds of Change, Odessa, Ukraine, to expand economic rights and opportunities for IDP victims of gender-based violence, with workshops, counselling, establishment of self-help groups and a booklet on financial security. Read their project report here.
Tolerspace, Kyiv, Ukraine, to create a graphic novel for 10-13-year-old girls, and training of peer guides in interactive use of this to raise awareness of violence. Read their project report here. Additionally, one of Tolerspace’s peer-guides, 17-year-old Olga Sidelnikova, provides a personal perspective on the project here.
Olive Branch Arts, Armenia/UK, for ‘The Freedom Project’, a therapeutic project for women survivors of violence to explore their experiences through photography, leading to a photographic exhibition. Read their project report here.
Improve Our Village NGO, Argel, Armenia, for ‘Women’s Rights Kitchen’, a project to help protect and empower Yazidi women victims by developing culinary skills and a greater awareness of their rights. Read their project report here.
Union Women’s Centre, Tbilisi, Georgia, to develop strategies to resist child marriage in ethnic minority communities in Georgia and Azerbaijan, including training for doctors in the complications of early pregnancy. Read their report here.
Harmony Plus, Karakol, Kyrgyzstan, for workshops on domestic violence for young mothers and mothers-in-law, a workshop for NGO and other professionals and a round table for officials including law enforcement. Read their project report here.
Crisis Centre Sezim, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, for ‘New Beginnings’, a project to establish club meetings for women of 55+, with legal services, counselling, art therapy, computer literacy etc. Read their project report here.
Parastor, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, to open a rapid response centre in Dushanbe to assist victim of violence, plus training for NGO and crisis centre staff, police, judges and doctors. Read their project report here.
Chance Crisis Center, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, for assessing the quality of services for victims of gender-based violence; training on assessment tools; testing the tools; research on the basis of 5-7 crisis centres and their services, taking into account the interests of different categories of victims. Read their project report here.
Women’s Initiatives, Blijniy, Moldova, for group and individual counselling by a psychologist and a lawyer for women and their children; training courses and master classes; developing and issuing legal and psychological guidelines on the theme “Your family is not a place for fear, violence and cruel treatment”. Read their project report here.
Ulitsa Mira (Ulica Mira), St Petersburg, Russia, to deliver psychological help to women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) and to children who have witnessed IPV. This project was jointly funded by Help Impact. Help Impact helps disadvantaged young people anywhere in the world. Read their project report here.
Public Organisation for Social Assistance «Bereginya», Petrozavodsk, Russia, for a self-defence workshop, psychological training courses, and photo session (to increase self esteem) for 25 victims of violence living in a crisis centre.
Check back here soon, to read project reports and articles detailing the organisations’ implementation of their projects.
The Small Grants Scheme 2019 was funded by donations from Just Trust, Network for Social Change Charitable Trust, sponsorship from Charlie Walker’s marathon, individual BEARR supporters and a grant from a private foundation. We are most grateful to all these generous donors.
