SEEN: Gender Based Violence Against Women with Disabilities in Focus

ended

Lithuanian context suggests that existing legislative gaps, ineffective institutional mechanisms, lacking professional competences & stereotypes emerging at the intersection of gender & disability have a negative impact on women with disabilities who experience GBV. Therefore, the project aims at overcoming legislative, policy, institutional culture, knowledge & attitude related behavioral barriers in order to ensure safety of women with disabilities. The outlined objective will be achieved through (1) carrying out the revision of legislation on GBV against women with disabilities in Lithuania, (2) creating & strengthening protection & supporting mechanisms in social & mental health care services tailored for women with disabilities experiencing GBV, (3) Increasing capacities of mental health & social care service providers to address & manage GBV against women with disabilities across services, (4) developing Coordinated Multi Agency Response (CMAR) algorithm in pilot municipalities & adopting it for nation-wide implementation, (5) strengthening of the recognition of GBV against women with disabilities among women themself & bystanders, & (6) raising public awareness / discussions & promoting behavioral changes on supporting women with disabilities reach for help. The project will provide behavioral solutions to ensure better safety for women with disabilities experiencing GBV. It will reach women with disabilities (500); policy makers (150), professionals (700), and the general public (1M). The results will include (1) recommendations for policy makers on better protection of women with disabilities from GBV, (2) changed institutional behavior of mental health & social care service providers; (3) increased efficiency of coordinated multi agency response to GBV against women with disabilities; (4) enlarged recognition of GBV against women with disabilities among bystanders & women themselves.