SEEN: Gender Based Violence Against Women with Disabilities in Focus

Duration: 1^st of April 2022 – 15^th of March 2024

The aim of this project is to prevent & combat GBV against women with disabilities.

Objectives of the project:

• to carry out the revision of legislation on GBV against women with disabilities in Lithuania;
• to create & strengthen protection & supporting mechanisms in social & mental health care services tailored for women with disabilities experiencing GBV;
• to increase capacities of mental health & social care service providers to address & manage GBV against women with disabilities across services;
• to develop Coordinated Multi Agency Response (CMAR) algorithm in pilot municipalities & adopt it for nation-wide implementation;
• to strengthen the recognition of GBV against women with disabilities among women themself & bystanders;
• to raise public awareness / discussions & promote behavioral changes in supporting women with disabilities reach for help.

The objectives will be achieved by:

• advocating for legal adjustments in national legislation, adoption of municipal-level CMAR to GBV against women with disabilities & support mechanisms in social & mental health care services for women with disabilities experiencing GBV, especially in the context of Covid-19;
• building capacity of professionals and motivating them to eliminate prevailing stereotypes arising in the intersection of gender norms & disability which contribute to justification of all forms of GBV & effectively prevent, detect and support victims of violence who have disabilities;
• raising awareness of women with disabilities about GBV and empowering to seek support & motivating bystanders to take active part in providing support.

Applicant: Center for Equality Advancement

Partners: Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson, “Mental Health Perspectives“, Public Enterprise “Nomoshiti”

The project is co-funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme of the European Union (2021).