ICAR Foundation elaborated the research report “Gender-based violence among migrants”, which is the first report on this phenomenon among migrants in Romania.

The research aimed to evaluate the current situation of migrants from the perspective of gender violence and to obtain the necessary information for the development and implementation of measures and work tools aimed at supporting migrants from Romania, victims of gender violence. In this regard, between September 2021 and June 2022, data was collected through questionnaires applied among migrants and public authorities/non-governmental organizations with attributions in the field of migration/violence in the 6 cities with procedure centres and accommodation for asylum seekers (Bucuresti, Rădăuți, Șomcuta Mare, Timişoara, Giurgiu and Galați), as well as by organizing focus groups with migrants and intercultural mediators from Bucharest and Rădăuți.

As a result of the research, it emerged that gender-based violence among migrants is a social problem frequently encountered and little known from a psychosocial perspective. Moreover, there are several reasons (socio-cultural, religious, family) why victims of gender-based violence among migrants are very reserved in discussing their situation. At the same time, the structures and organizations in the field do not have enough information about the contexts and risk factors of gender-based violence among migrants.

The entire research report can be viewed by accessing the following link: https://icar-evairfam.ro/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/EVA-IRFAM_Raport-cercetare.pdf .

The report was made within the project “EVA IRFAM – There is Hidden Violence Affecting Migrant Women”, a project implemented by ICAR Foundation in partnership with Health and Human Rights Info, with the financial support of Active Citizens Fund Romania, programme funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants 2014 – 2021.

The aim of the project is to increase the capacity of migrant women, youth and LGBTIQ people to recognize and get out of GBV situations by providing support services, an awareness campaign and training of specialists working for public institutions at national level in identifying, intervening, and preventing this phenomenon and the development of the ICAR Foundation as a resource centre on GBV by making the first research report on GBV on refugees in Romania and developing a working guide for specialists.

About Active Citizens Fund Romania
The Active Citizens Fund Romania programme is funded through the EEA Grants 2014-2021. The overall objective of the Grants is to reduce economic and social disparities, and to strengthen bilateral relations between 15 beneficiary countries and the Donor States (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). The programme is administered by a consortium composed of Civil Society Development Foundation, Romanian Environmental Partnership Foundation, Resource Center for Roma Communities, PACT Foundation and Frivillighet Norge, acting as Fund Operator designated by FMO – Financial Mechanism Office of the EEA and Norway Grants. The objectives of the Active Citizens Fund Romania are to strengthen civil society and active citizenship and to empower vulnerable groups. With a total allocation of 46,000,000 euro, the programme pursues a long-term development of the civil society sector sustainability and capacity, stepping up its role in promoting democratic participation, active citizenship and human rights, while strengthening bilateral relations with organizations from the Donor States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. For more information about the Active Citizens Fund in Romania, please go to www.activecitizensfund.ro. For more information about the EEA and Norway Grants, go to www.eeagrants.org.

EVA IRFAM_Press release – research raport

The ICAR Foundation is organizing on May 29, 2023, starting at 10:00 a.m., the final Conference to disseminate the results of the project “EVA IRFAM – There is Hidden Violence Affecting Migrant Women”. The event will take place in Bucharest, at the Holiday Inn Bucharest-Times Hotel.

Representatives of public authorities and non-governmental organizations active in the field of migration and violence, intercultural mediators, and other interested parties are invited to participate.

The purpose of the conference is to disseminate the results achieved within the project, which contributes to increasing the capacity of migrants to recognize and get out of situations of gender-based violence. Within the project, support services were provided to victims/potential victims of gender-based violence, capacity building sessions were organized in which specialists from public institutions and non-governmental organizations were trained to identify, intervene, and prevent this phenomenon, as well as an awareness campaign with migrant youth to improve knowledge about gender-based violence. At the same time, it was also made the first research report on this phenomenon among migrants, which contributed to the development of the ICAR Foundation as a resource center on gender-based violence.

The “EVA IRFAM – There Is Hidden Violence Affecting Migrant Women”, project implemented by the ICAR Foundation in partnership with Health and Human Rights Info, with the financial support of Active Citizens Fund Romania, programme funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through EEA Grants 2014 – 2021, was implemented between April 1, 2021, and May 31, 2023, and benefited from funding in the amount of 249,751.50 euros. The aim of the project was to increase the capacity of migrant women, youth and LGBTIQ people to recognize and get out of GBV situations by providing support services, an awareness campaign and training of specialists working for public institutions at national level in identifying, intervening, and preventing this phenomenon and the development of the ICAR Foundation as a resource centre on GBV by making the first research report on GBV on refugees in Romania and developing a working guide for specialists.

About Active Citizens Fund Romania
The Active Citizens Fund Romania programme is funded through the EEA Grants 2014-2021. The overall objective of the Grants is to reduce economic and social disparities, and to strengthen bilateral relations between 15 beneficiary countries and the Donor States (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). The programme is administered by a consortium composed of Civil Society Development Foundation, Romanian Environmental Partnership Foundation, Resource Center for Roma Communities, PACT Foundation and Frivillighet Norge, acting as Fund Operator designated by FMO – Financial Mechanism Office of the EEA and Norway Grants. The objectives of the Active Citizens Fund Romania are to strengthen civil society and active citizenship and to empower vulnerable groups. With a total allocation of 46,000,000 euro, the programme pursues a long-term development of the civil society sector sustainability and capacity, stepping up its role in promoting democratic participation, active citizenship and human rights, while strengthening bilateral relations with organizations from the Donor States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. For more information about the Active Citizens Fund in Romania, please go to www.activecitizensfund.ro. For more information about the EEA and Norway Grants, go to www.eeagrants.org.

EVA IRFAM_Press release_final conference

On December 10, 2021, with the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, ICAR Foundation organised the webinar with „Migrants and Gender-Based Violence” theme, an event that aimed to sound the alarm about this phenomenon, in which women, girls, children and young people are falling victim.

The event took place on the last day of the ‘Orange the World’ campaign, in the context in which ICAR Foundation is running a project (EVA IRFAM – There is Hidden Violence Among Migrant Women) that addresses cases of gender-based violence among migrants.

Experts in the field took the floor in the webinar: Nora Sveaass, clinical psychologist and HHRI president (Mental Health and Human Rights Info) – Norvegia, Dr. Diddy Mymin Kahn – Co-founder and director of Kuchinate, African Refugee Women’s Collective – Israel and Lia Faur, professor of Romanian language and civilization at El Manar University in Tunis. The event was moderated by Dr. Camelia Doru – Project coordinator and President of ICAR Foundation.

The project is carried out by ICAR Foundation in partnership with Health and Human Rights Info, with the financial support of Active Citizens Fund Romania, program financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants 2014-2021. The aim of the project is to increase the capacity of women, young people and LGBTIQ migrants/refugees to recognize and get out of GBV situations thanks to the support services, awareness campaign and training of specialists from public institutions at national level in identifying, intervening, and preventing GBV and the development of ICAR Foundation as a resource center on GBV by conducting the first research report on GBV on refugees in Romania and developing a work guide for specialists.

ICAR Foundation, in partnership with MHHRI (Mental Health and Human Rights Info, Oslo – Norway), is happy to announce the launch of EVA IRFAM, a project dedicated to researching and raising awareness around gender-based violence (GBV) affecting migrant women.

EVA IRFAM is the first project in Romania to address this complex and little-known phenomenon.

Our purpose for the next two years is to offer social, medical, psychological and legal support to victims of GBV. We will also organize workshops and focus groups designed to shift the perception of participants on this matter and to inform migrant women on their rights and the services they can access if they are victims or at risk of GBV.

With the help and expertise of our Norwegian partner, ICAR will offer capacity building workshops to specialists working in government institutions, aimed at improving their approach on this issue, by changing discriminatory attitudes and creating GBV guidelines.

On the 12th of May, Wednesday, from 10:30-12:00 Romania time, we will hold the online launch event for the project with the stakeholders involved. If you are interested in this topic and would like to join us, please send an email at andreea@icarfoundation.ro .