Civic association ŽENA V TIESNI
The civic association ŽENA V TIESNI has been working for the elimination of violence against women since 2005. The counseling center is focused on helping and protecting women who experience violence in intimate relationships and their children. Our activities are based on human rights and feminist approaches, which result in procedures and ways of working with clients in counseling. This means that we consider violence to be a violation of the human rights of women for whom the abuser is to blame. That is why we always stand by women and their children, trust them and never cooperate with abusers. We are a specialized counseling center (accredited body), which means that we provide women and their children with specialized protection and support that takes into account their diverse individual needs (e.g. mitigating the effects of violence, increasing and maintaining safety, financial and economic needs, etc.).
Our main goal is to contribute through our activities to the prevention and reduction of gender-based violence against women in intimate relationships and to the protection of women`s human rights.
AMOUNT OBJECTIVES
- to assist in processes that will lead to change at both individual and societal level;
- increase the effectiveness of helping our clients;
- contribute to the detabuization of the topic, raise awareness of the topic of violence against women;
OUR VISION IS A STABLE AND LONG-TERM PARTICIPATION IN PROCESSES TO HELP WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN IN THE HARD SITUATION IN WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN.
We focus the primary prevention activities of the civic association WOMAN IN NEED on the general public. They include work with all age groups, including cooperation with pupils in schools, or meetings with seniors. We support the public debate on violence against women, we strive to change public attitudes and mobilize them to actively intervene against violence against women.
We also carry out vocational training for the professions, volunteers, and we actively cooperate with the police, non-state actors and state authorities. Last but not least, our work includes publishing and information activities.
We accompany our clients throughout the long-term process of help and support. All services provided by us are free of charge. At work, we follow the recommended standards of the Council of Europe:
- the safety of women and children is paramount for us, our center has a secret address;
- we guarantee anonymity to clients, we do not provide any data to third parties (except in cases where the client requests it or only with her express consent);
- our services are accessible to all women who have experienced gender-based violence, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, age, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation, monthly income, etc .;
- we respect the client`s decisions, we do not condition our help on her decisions;
- provided services are adapted to the individual needs of the client;
- we defend and help clients exercise their rights;
- we are on the side of a woman who is experiencing violence.
We don`t work with the rapist!
The services are provided by professionally trained workers in the field of violence against women, which means that we work in accordance with the principle: Women help women.
We`ve been granted:
- accreditation 305/2005 Coll. on the social legal protection of children and on social guardianship and on the amendment of certain laws
- accreditation in accordance with Act no. 274/2017 Coll. for assistance to victims of crimes of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic;
- the status of the Intervention Center in accordance with Act No. 274/2017 Coll. for assistance to victims of crimes of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic;
- registration for social service providers in Žilina Self-Governing Region.
WHAT DO WE PROVIDE FOR WOMEN EXPANDING VIOLENCE?
- local emergency telephone line;
- online counseling;
- specialized counseling for women experiencing violence
- psychological, legal and social counseling;
- advice in criminal proceedings;
- personal consultations with counselors;
- personal assistance and field work;
- support groups,
- counseling for children who have experienced domestic violence
- crisis housing,
- educational activities,
- preventive activities.