Name of the project

Developing gender stereotype-free and efficient law enforcement system for prevention of gender-based violence

Duration of the project 01.12.2019-30.11.2021

Financier

Active citizens fund (with the support of the EMP financial mechanism)

The project is implemented by NGO Estonian Institute for Open Society Research

Objective and main activities

The central objective of the project is the development of a law enforcement culture and communication standards free of gender stereotypes which would increase the victims’ trust in law enforcement agencies and encourage them to cooperate. The project is necessary for training law enforcement specialists to handle cases of gender-based violence without being hindered by gender stereotypes and to update the legal regulation concerning gender-based and intimate relationship violence. The project will include basic surveys: a nationwide study of victims, interviews with law enforcement specialists, in-depth interviews with victims and an analysis of court dossiers. The purpose is to determine what the contribution of the Estonian state should be so as to prevent more efficiently gender-based and intimate partner violence and to ensure the victims and their children best possible defence against (repeated) violence

The partners and their tasks in the project

The task of the project partners of the University of Tartu legal faculty is to analyse the current state of the existing legal regulation and make recommendations for the improvement of legislation, as well as organise two round table meetings for law enforcement specialists for discussing law amendments which would result in more efficient prevention of intimate partner violence, prevention of repeated offences and ensuring best possible protection of victims and their children against violence. The project partner Tallinn Crisis Centre for Women organises in-depth interview with victims with experience of the court system. In cooperation with a foreign partner from Iceland (The Icelandic Women’s Rights Association), a two-day training will be carried out for trainers-lecturers of law enforcement specialists, which will explain the actual causes and essence of intimate partner violence and will teach them the solving of intimate partner violence cases without using gender stereotypes or blaming the victims.

Target groups

The main target group of the project consists of law enforcement specialists encountering intimate partner violence:

1. prosecutors

2. judges

3. barristers

4. police detectives

5. trainers-lecturers, who will arrange lectures (courses) on intimate partner violence to the specialists of the above fields.