Project name: Social and Legal Actions to Combat Honor Related Abuses
Leading partner: Center for Sustainable Communities Development
Partners: KUN Center for Equality and Diversity - https://www.kun.no/english.html
Women’s Advocates Association - https://www.womenlawyers.bg/
Budget: 161 687,49 euro
Duration: 14 months (September 2019 – October 2020)
Project Summary:
The legislation lacks a definition of abuse or violence in the name of honor and a data collection system. The result is impunity for the perpetrators and inadequate protection of the victims. The forms of abuse are early / adjusted / forced marriages, acid attacks, dowry killings, genital mutilation, etc.
The problem is only partially recognized in some Roma communities, most notably the early marriages that lead to early pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, leaving school and subsequent permanent marginalization. With the arrival of immigrants in the country, other forms of abuses are spreading, but they are not recognized by the professionally interested groups. These forms of violence are much more severe because they are encouraged by the family and the community, and women are also involved in violence planning. Legal and social practice for effective protection and targeted intervention is insufficient. The project offers a nationally representative study of the problem among different ethnic groups: Roma, Jews, Turks and Bulgarians, as well as immigrants (participants in the project) in parallel with the situation and good practices in Norway; analysis of the knowledge and attitude of the Bulgarians to the problem; drafting and sending to the public institutions / main target group / of Recommendations for changes in policies and legislation for the effective prevention and resolution of such cases.
Advocacy Campaign - Includes 13 public consultations on the Recommendations with at least 130 people in the country, profiled by ethnicity, profession and religion; 5 round tables in the regions with 200 people with public representatives (users) to sign a Petition in support of the drafted Recommendations. Training materials targeted at different professionals will be developed. A 20-minute movie with real stories and a communication campaign ending with a national conference will help to put pressure on public institutions.
Main target groups: Public institutions at national and local level – 12
Users:
- Refugees, migrants – 20
- The general public, incl. local communities – 285
Activities:
Activity 1: Analysis of the situation in Bulgaria and Norway with respect to abuse in the name of honor (ANH)
In Bulgaria a study will be carried out of the currently available policies and legal acts by the project experts. The results will be complemented by a national representative survey that will include not only early and forced marriages, but also other abuses of the so-called. "Umbrella of honor." The survey will cover the phenomenon of Roma, Turkish, Bulgarian, Armenian and Jewish ethnic groups and immigrants with permanent residence status. t will also include in-depth interviews with ethnic experts, teachers, lawyers, social workers, police officers. The study will be conducted by a specialized agency, which will also produce a special guide for the interviews with immigrants in both countries. A study will be conducted in Norway on available policies and legal acts and interviews with immigrants. The research will reveal the extent and characteristics of the ANH and the existing legal and policy deficits in order to formulate first recommendations for intervention.
The result:
- Guide for conducting in-depth interviews in Bulgarian and English;
- Preparation of a tabular report about Bulgaria;
- Preparation of an analytical report in two parts: qualitative - results of in-depth interviews and quantitative - statistical processing of results;
- Comparative analysis of the results of the Bulgarian and other communities;
- Summary of the results in English;
- Analysis of the interviews in Norway; Summary in English of the results and good practice collection;
- PPT presentation of the results which is going to be presented during the round tables (Activity 4);
- Developing the research capacity of experts in Norway;
- Preparation of an expert report from a cabinet study of national and national policies
a local level on abuse of honor; - Preparation of an expert report from a Cabinet study of the legal acts in force and in the draft;
- First version of Recommendations for change
Methods used:
- Direct personal interviews up to 30 min among Bulgarian, Roma and Turkish ethnic groups in Bulgaria;
- In-depth interviews with representatives of other ethnicities - Armenians, Jews, religious communities - e.g. evangelicals, Catholics;
- Expert interviews with ethnic experts, teachers, lawyers, social workers;
- Expert interviews with immigrants with permanent residence status in Bulgaria and Norway;
- Survey of online sources, published reports on policy availability at national and local level;
- Study of case law on the topic;
- A quantitative national representative survey of 1000 men and women over 16 years done by a sociological agency.
Responsible: CSCD, WAA, KUN
Schedule: Months 2-6
Activity 2: Sharing good practices through peer learning
Conducting a 2-day working meeting between the three partners and representatives of
the sociological agency in Sofia. There will be presented and discussed the results and the analyzes of the studies conducted in both countries; good practices will be discussed and two types of ex-ante Recommendations to public institutions in Bulgaria and Norway will be developed, respectively for political and legislative changes.
Participation of 10 people – two from Norway (project manager, two coordinators from the partners, three experts and representatives of the social agency).
Responsible: CSCD, WAA, KUN
Schedule : Months 7-8
Activity 3: Development of training materials on the problem
Preparation of a Handbook for use by professionals, stakeholders - legislative institutions, local authorities, researchers, human rights bodies (police, lawyers, prosecutors), social workers, teachers, GPs, mediators, teachers. The guide will contain the following information: a brief presentation of the results of the surveys in Bulgaria, analysis of interviews with immigrants in Bulgaria and Norway, good practices and educational materials for dealing with representative target groups - ethnic and closed communities, immigrants. It will help to achieve a better understanding and greater sensitivity to the issue and among the circle of professionals; the relevant response in case of ANH will intensify; knowledge will contribute to the prevention of such abuse; positive results from the advocacy campaign and the sustainability of project results will be achieved.
Circulation: 500 copies in Bulgarian - distributed during public consultations, round tables, the final press conference and with the participation of partners in an event with representatives of the interested groups.
The Handbook will be brought to the attention of Amalipe Center in the course of the training provided by them "Pedagogical and Community practices for overcoming early marriages in the Roma community ', approved by the Ministry of Education.
The circulation will be distributed as follows: 130 copies (public consultation),
200 copies (round tables), 70 copies (final press conference) and 100 copies (for other initiatives).
Online version of the Handbook in Norwegian will be made.
Responsible: CSCD
Schedule: Months 8-9
Activity 4: Conducting an advocacy campaign a / Public consultation b / Round tables
The activity will be carried out only in Bulgaria.
The advocacy tools developed during Activity 2, namely the preliminary two Recommendations for Political and Legislative Change, will be discussed with a wide range of community groups before being sent to national and local public authorities in Bulgaria.
Public consultation – 13, involving around 130 representatives of various stakeholders on abuse of honor in Sofia and in the country. After their implementation, the Bulgarian team of two experts will make the final version of the two Recommendations for Political and Legal Changes.
These two documents will be presented to different representatives of the broad
public in 5 one-day round tables in 5 regions of the country without the Southwestern region. They will end by signing a Petition to the public authorities in the country
in support for the proposed changes. Participants in the round tables - 200 people.
Public consultations will be organized by CSCD. They will be held in 4 cities – Sofia, Smolyan, Targovishte and Razlog, individually with representatives of one ethnic or professional group: Roma, Turks, Jews, Armenians; refugees; police officers; teachers; family doctors; cultural and health Roma mediators; social workers; religious leaders; lawyers and NGO representatives within about 4 hours each. During the public consultation, two experts will present the project, the nature and consequences of abuse in the name of honor, the main results of the study. The recommendations elaborated will be discussed with the aim of contributing the opinion of the participants to the elaboration of the final versions of the Recommendations.
The round tables will be one-day long and will be organized by WAA in the cities of Smolyan, Razlog, Targovishte, Pleven and Vratsa. With the help of local coordinators will be provided
the participation of about 200 people involved in the general public. The Round Table will again present the project, the nature and consequences of abuses in the name of honor, the main results of the study, but also
the final version of the Recommendations to the Institutions. The film produced will be screened and a petition will be signed to the public institutions to accept the proposed
Recommendations.
Schedule: Months 9-13
Activity 5: Communication
This activity aims to regularly inform stakeholders in Bulgaria and Norway about the activities and results of the project, which will also support advocacy activities for the adoption by the national and local institutions of proposed changes to policies and laws.
Expected results:
- Logo and design of folder, notebook, pen;
- Opening press conference - 15 participants;
- Final Conference - 70 people;
- Film (versions) - 20 min, 10 and 5 min;
- Paid publications in specialized editions - 2;
- Website development in Bulgarian and English - 1; Website Hosting and Technical Support - 5 years;
- Making a roll-up -2 pc;
- Text, design, print preview and printing of a brochure for the project - 500;
- Branded notebooks, folders, chemicals for the participants in the respective initiatives - 15 people opening a press conference; 70 people - closing conference; 130 people - public consultations and 200 people - round tables;
- Publications on the website of the beneficiary and partners - 10;
- Posts in the profiles of partners in social networks - 20;
- Publications on the project website - min 1 month - 14 publications, in Bulgarian and English, respectively;
Responsible: CSCD, communication coordinator
Schedule: Months 1-14
Activity 6: Project management
The aim is the successful implementation of activities in Bulgaria and Norway, compliance with deadlines, timely payment of eligible costs incurred, ongoing communication with
the activities implemented and the products prepared.
Monthly Skype meetings with a communication coordinator. If necessary, the experts involved in the project will also participate in these meetings. 1 interim narrative and financial report and 1 final narrative and financial report will be prepared. The team will observe and require experts and outsourcers to meet deadlines and to implement commitments responsibly. Its members will support and actively participate in events organized and implemented by the coordinator of communications, as well as
are included in other project activities.
Responsible:
Отговорник : Project Management Team - Project Manager (CSCD); Project Coordinator (WAA), Norway Coordinator and Accountant / CSCD /.
Schedule: Months 1-14