Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a prevalent human rights violation both globally and on the European level. SGBV has both physical and psychological forms; it includes domestic violence, sexual harassment and violence, harmful practices, exploitation and trafficking in human beings. Women and men, girls and boys, including LGBTIQ people, can all become victims of such violence, however the majority of the victims are women and girls.

The project PROTECT – Preventing sexual and gender-based violence against migrants and strengthening support to victims aims to support the coordination and/or adaptation of support services for actual and potential victims of sexual and gender-based violence among refugees, migrants and asylum seekers (children and adults, including LGBTIQ people).

The project is funded by the European Union's Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014-2020) and implemented by 12 IOM country offices (Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Spain) and 8 NGO partners, namely, Legebitra (Slovenia), Le monde selon les femmes abl (Belgium),Fundación EMET Arco Iris, Asociación Rumiñahui, Movimiento por la Paz (Spain), Arq Psychotrauma Expert Groep, Rutgers, and Pharos (Netherlands) between October 2018 and March 2020.

The overall objective of the project is to strengthen the capacities of existing national support services for sexual and gender-based violence to coordinate better and make these systems available for refugee, migrant and asylum seeker victims and potential victims of SGBV. The project also aims to raise awareness among and empower these communities.

The project has the following specific objectives and activities which will be implemented during its 18-month cycle. Most of the activities will be tailored to specific national contexts:

  • Strengthen and adapt existing national support services for sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) to coordinate better and include refugees, migrants and asylum seekers.
  • Build capacity for professionals who work with and for refugees, migrants and asylum seekers with the aim of identifying and addressing the needs of victims and potential victims of SGBV more effectively.
  • Empower and inform refugee and migrant communities and asylum seekers of SGBV and its prevention through a regional awareness-raising campaign.

The project is implemented in close cooperation with State authorities, first responders and service providers as well as refugees, migrants and asylum seekers. For further information, please see here.  

As part of the inception phase of the PROTECT project, national mapping exercises have been conducted by IOM country offices together with project partners to map the existing legislative frameworks, available services to migrant victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and to identify the key gaps and challenges. You can download report here.

IOM has developed leaflets about SGBV and available services in Malta for adults and children in different languages targeting refugees, migrants and asylum seekers. We also produced a video on SGBV with subtitles in 23 different languages. Have a look at the materials on  https://hungary.iom.int/sgbv or download the leaflets here: Adult (Arabic, English, Somali, Tigrinya) and Children (Arabic, English, Somali, Tigrinya).

IOM has contributed to the development of SOPs/Guidelines on SGBV and Domestic Violence in Malta through the development and dissemination among relevant stakeholders of the visual representation of the referral system and the available support services in Malta and Gozo. You can access the leaflets and posters here: Malta, Gozo.

By the end of the project, the following outputs in Malta are foreseen:

  • Mapping exercise of existing support services for refugees, migrants and asylum seekers in the field of SGBV
  • 2 national stakeholder meetings
  • Contribution to SOPs/Guidelines on SGBV and Domestic Violence
  • 11 capacity building trainings on SGBV for 200+ professionals, including first responders, specialized and general service providers
  • 8 information sessions to refugees, migrants and asylum seekers
  • 1400 information materials in different languages distributed among relevant stakeholders and refugees, migrants and asylum seekers

In Malta, national partners in the PROTECT project are the Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security and the Ministry for Health.

 

For further information, please contact:

IOM

Ms Koviljka Pajcin
kpajcin@iom.int           
+356 21374613

Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security
Ms Diandra Buttigieg
diandra.buttigieg@gov.mt

Ministry for Health
Ms Marika Podda Connor
marika.poddaconnor@gov.mt

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