OSCE works to enlarge number of trained specialists counselling victims of domestic violence in all regions of Moldova
Forty psychologists and social workers from NGOs and shelters specialized in counselling victims of domestic violence participated in two OSCE-supported workshops in Tiraspol from 3 to 5 June and in Ribnita from 6 to 8 June 2019. They learned about best practices in assisting women in managing trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Slightly more than three-quarters of women in Moldova think that violence against women is very common in the country, says the recent OSCE-led Survey on Well Being and Safety of Women, which covers seven OSCE participating States. Prevention and combating domestic violence is also among the issues discussed at Human Rights and Social Protection Working Groups within the Transdniestrian settlement process.
During the two workshops, which brought together a mixed group of professionals from the left-bank cities as well as the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, the trainer organized role plays and offered individual coaching sessions on supervising victims of domestic violence during the recovery stage, in particular, techniques of exercising self-control and avoiding dependant relationships. The participants also discussed ways to overcome professional burnout.
“The trainer built a rapport with us and was sensitive to our learning needs. She taught us how to understand and share one another’s feelings, which is a very important technique in working with our beneficiaries,” said Olga Purakhina, the Director of the NGO Vialex in Ribnita and a co-organizer of the workshop.
In previous years, the Mission has trained around 110 shelter staff from both banks, namely psychologists and social assistants from Chisinau, Comrat, Drochia, Causeni, Ribnita and Tiraspol. Participants in the workshops demonstrated a high interest in continuing to share experiences and maintain dialogue on how to fight this phenomenon, which prompted the Mission to organize more training opportunities.
The activity is in line with the 2004 OSCE Action Plan for promoting gender equality, which states that the “OSCE structures will continue to assist participating States in developing programmes and activities aimed at the prevention of all forms of gender-based violence”.