Regional awareness-raising campaign against gender-based violence in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania

A regional awareness-raising campaign against gender-based violence in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania which will run for 16 days has been launched by the Strategic Police Matters Unit (SPMU) of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) Transnational Threats Department. 

The campaign represents the last phase of the project called "Effective Criminal Justice Strategies and Practices to Combat Gender-based Violence in Eastern Europe", a project which has been implemented over the past two years in the three countries. The activities target both policemen and the public, including victims and perpetrators, the Romanian Police informed in a press release. 

"It is important to realise that no chain is stronger than its weakest link. This means that the fight against gender-based violence must go beyond the justice system and engage society and civil society," SPMU Adviser on Police Reform and project manager Jan Mill stated. 

As part of the campaign, the policemen will be equipped with pocket-sized guides to aid in recognizing the causes, signs, signals and effects of gender-based violence helping them to take a sensitised approach when working with victims and perpetrators. 

Posters, TV and radio spots will also be published in order to raise awareness among the public and to encourage the reporting of cases. 

"Domestic violence, whether emotional, physical or of any other nature, causes trauma to the victims and other family members,' Domestic Violence Prevention Special Officer with the Romanian Police Angela Chirvasuta stated. 

The campaign will promote the free help lines available in the three countries.