Together with communities, we combat domestic violence

At the initiative of the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights and with the support of the Chernihiv Regional State Administration, a number of thematic events are planned to be held in October-November to prevent and combat domestic violence. After all, domestic violence is one of the most acute social problems.

Thus, on October 22, 2021, a roundtable meeting was held in the Koryukiv Regional State Administration together with territorial communities on the interaction and coordination of representatives of state structures, local communities, police and the public on the prevention and combat of domestic violence in the district.

As noted

Ruslana Nagorna

, a representative of the regional coordinator, which is the Department of Family, Youth and Sports of the Chernihiv Regional State Administration, that in Ukraine in general, as well as in the Chernihiv region, there has been an increase in the level of domestic violence, in particular the number of appeals, recently. Thus, as of October 1, 2021, 7,873 appeals were recorded regarding facts of domestic violence, of which 79 percent were appeals from women, 19 percent from men, and 2 percent from children.

It is worth noting that cooperation and communication with communities is not fully established in the region. Only in 41 out of 57 territorial communities in the region have deputy heads been designated as coordinators for the implementation of measures in the field of preventing and combating domestic violence and gender-based violence on the territory of the relevant administrative-territorial unit. It is the coordinator who is personally responsible for ensuring the timely and effective implementation of measures in the field of preventing and combating domestic violence and gender-based violence in accordance with the legislation.

In particular, in the Koryukivskyi district, coordinators have not been designated in the Koryukivskyi and Sosnytskyi communities. Programs/plans of measures on this issue have also not been adopted, not all communities have coordination councils as mechanisms for interaction in communities.

Acting Head of the Koryukiv Regional State Administration

Angela Yushchenko

noted the problems they face in their work, because today the coordination council is an ineffective tool in implementing the policy to combat domestic violence, since the institutions at the district level have not been fully reformed, authorized persons have not been identified, and there are also certain problems in cooperation with communities.

Representative of the NGO “Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights”

Natalia Kulikova

noted that today the situation with combating domestic violence is quite complicated due to the reform of structures and the transfer of powers to communities. There is a lack of cooperation and coordination in this area at the district and community levels. She also noted the need to introduce programs for perpetrators in the community and adopt specialized programs to comprehensively address the issue.

An employee of the Chernihiv Regional Center for Social Services reminded those present of the need to carry out high-quality preventive measures and provide assistance to victims of domestic violence.

A representative of the Koryukiv District Police Department of the Main Department of National Police in Chernihiv Region

Viktor Barabash

informed that in the Koryukiv District in 2021 the number of appeals to the police also increased. Thus, in 10 months of 2021, almost 500 residents of the district appealed, 416 protocols on administrative offenses were drawn up and 8 criminal proceedings were initiated.

The participants of the event agreed on further cooperation and mutual assistance to improve the situation, both at the district level and in each territorial community.

The event was organized within the framework of the project “Local Communities of Chernihiv Region against Domestic Violence” with the support of the US Embassy in Ukraine.