Creating a Better Future for Migrant Women in Malta

1. Creating a Better Future for Migrant Women in Malta Diana Tudorancea, Mental Health Officer, diana@migrantwomenmalta.org Hiba Wazaz, Project Coordinator, Cult. Med., hiba@migrantwomenmalta.org Wednesday, May 8th, 2019 www.migrantwomenmalta.org - migrantwomenmalta@gmail.com - Phone: +356 7952 8945

2. Agenda • Opening speech • Better Future : the Project •  SGBV case study and research •  Cultural competence • Intl Protocol on Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict • Better Future : the Program • Closing Address

3. Agenda • Opening speech • Better Future : the Project •  SGBV case study and research •  Cultural competence • Intl Protocol on Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in conflict • Better Future : the Program • Closing Address

6. Agenda • Opening speech • Better Future : the Project •  SGBV case study and research •  Cultural competence • Intl Protocol on Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict • Better Future : the Program • Closing Address

7. Who is MWAM? • An autonomous, independent, voluntary, non-profit organization • …founded in May 2015… • …led by migrant women, working with and for migrant women  • …using our ambition, drive, innovation, courage and creativity towards migrant women’s empowerment, full integration within the Maltese society and the realization of their full potential.

8. MWAM - 4 Goals To promote equal treatment, equal rights and better integration for migrant women in Malta To develop partnerships within the community, share best practices & enhance migrant women’s roles in the Maltese community. To promote gender equality among migrants To promote migrant women’s rights & to contribute to the elimination of any form of violence against women occurring in the Maltese Islands.

9. MWAM current projects COMMUNICATION SESSIONS English classes & childcare BETTER FUTURE Mental health

10. WhydidwecreateBetter Future? •  Preliminary report findings (Fall 2017): •  Highly fragmented data available on SGBV •  Mental health: a challenge among refugee and asylum-seeker population •  SGBV: despite a decrease in the overall number of cases of violence, SGBV cases reported by women are on the rise (esp. domestic violence) in Malta •  Limited awareness of existing services and accessibility among migrant women

11. Our service: Better Future The first specialised sexual and gender-based violence counselling service in Malta targeted at the female refugee and migrant community 10/28/2016

12. Better Future : our pillars • A client-centeredapproach • A multi-agency response through the creation of a network of partners: governmental agencies (AWAS, LEAP…) and SGBV stakeholders (DVN, VSM,…) • Data management & confidentiality – based on the international standard GBVims March 12th, 2018

13. Better Future : the team Cultural mediators/ interpreters (Somali, Tigrinya/Amharic, Arabic, French) Supervised Transculturalpsychologists Experts & Partners: SGBV, Legal, Data management Admin team

14. Better Future : overview of our partners PreviousFunding Training & ad-hoc support Outreach, referral & expertise sharing Domestic Violence Network

15. Better Future : overview of activities • Information sessions every 2 weeks in 2 open centers (Fgura & Hal-Far): « Women’scircle » meetings to discussempowerment, genderequality, SGBV and promoteBetter Future OUTREACH MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT/ COUNSELLING CAPACITY BUILDING & CONSULTANCY

16. Better Future : outreach activity Regular information sessions and visits to Open Centers: • On a weekly to weekly basis for Hal-Far & Dar Il-Liedna • On a weekly basis to Balzan Open Centre • Facilitatinginterpretation services in open centres • Community sessions • Approx. 100 women reached • Social work system developed to record issues and tackle them systemically • More than 200 hours of outreach activities & group sessions

17. Better Future : mental health support • Self-referrals & referrals from other organizations • Transcultural psychologists & trained interpreters • Partners with various specialties • 250 hours of counselling provided • 32 referrals from other agencies • 3 referrals from community

18. Better Future : capacity building & consultancy •  2 trainings (September 2018 and April 2019) organized in cooperation with Dr. Glorianne Said, trauma specialist in NHS – •  To develop trauma informed care amongst mental health professionals •  To develop cultural awareness •  To import international expertise and lend it to local knowledge • Consultancy on Migration and Multiculturalism to shelters and other women support organizations • 1 in house interpreter S/GBV mental health training • 2 mental health first aid trainings for Better Future staff – organized by Richmond foundation • 2 trauma informed care for local mental health professionals by Dr. Said

19. Agenda • Opening speech • Better Future : the Project • SGBV case study and research • Cultural competence • Intl Protocol on Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict • Better Future : the Program • Closing Address

20. SGBV: what are wetalking about? • Gender-based violence againstwomenshallmean violence thatisdirectedagainst a womanbecausesheis a woman or that affects womendisproportionately.  •  « Violence againstwomen » isunderstood as a violation of humanrights and a form of discrimination againstwomen and shallmean all acts of gender-based violence thatresult in, or are likely to result in, physical, sexual, psychological or economicharm or suffering to women, includingthreats of suchacts, coercion or arbitrarydeprivation of liberty, whetheroccuring in public or private life. » Istanbul Convention – Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence againstWomen and Domestic Violence

21. Case study: 20 years old mother • Fled her country with support from her family abroad • In Libya endured multiple complex traumatic events that have resulted in severe dissociative amnesia • Cannot communicate in English or Maltese • Entirely dependent on one peer, for support, translation and assistance • Suffered from absence in memory that lead service providers to understand her asylum process and history taking has been derailed by her inability to recollect her own past

22. Case study: 19 years old SGBV survivor

23. Agenda • Opening speech • Better Future : the Project •  SGBV case study and research • Cultural competence • Intl Protocol on Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict • Better Future : the Program • Closing Address

24. Multiculturalism is a reality for Malta • Migration is a reality and a pluricultural society is a natural byproduct of globalization •  That brings a challenge to frontline professions in everyday service provision • Lack of cultural awareness and interpreted service is acknowledged as a barrier to treatment • All service providers should be trained and have multicultural competence

25. Cultural Competence: an imperative for service efficiency •  Lack of cultural competency has significant impacts for both service providers and beneficiaries •  Added costs to the system •  Frustration on both sides •  Shutting away a service from its beneficiaries •  Negative effect on help-seeking behavior •  Loss of trust 

26. Our handbook •  Based on our service experience • Designed for all service providers •  Our findings : •  Interpretation and outreach are paramount to all activity •  Assessment of level of education helps create a baseline of understanding •  Explanation of service, roles, responsibilities in a clear and simple way is essential •  More research is needed to further understand push factors for integration

27. Agenda • Opening speech • Better Future : the Project •  SGBV case study and research •  Cultural competence • Intl Protocol on Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict • Better Future : the Program • Closing Address

28. Signed by His Exc. George Vella in 2014 (as Foreign Affairs Minister) • Setting out best practice on how to document, or investigate, sexual violence as a violation of international criminal, human rights or humanitarian law known as Conflict and Atrocity-Related Sexual Violence, or CARSV. • The Protocol is a practical document, intended to promote accountability for CARSV.

29. International Protocol • Instrument that helps to deal with cases of SGBV on a legal basis • We will be adopting these guidelines during our work • Legal instrument – all entities meeting CARSV cases shall apply it • These guidelines can be extended to all SGBV cases • We will introduce them in our trainings

30. Agenda • Opening speech • Better Future : the Project •  SGBV case study and research • Cultural competence •   Intl Protocol on Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict • Better Future : the Program • Closing Address

31. Our Program’s goals • Identify victims of SGBV • Holistic approach • Interpreter unit available for other services • Capacity building • Information management protocols

32. Integrating S/GBV survivors in services:taking into account intersectional factors PRESENTATION OF SYMPTOMS Migraine Sleep issues Eating issues

33. Integrating S/GBV survivors in services:taking into account intersectional factors Class, disability, gender, age… ACTUAL ISSUES PRESENTATION OF SYMPTOMS Migraine Sleep issues Eating issues Personal history Socio-economic Psychological Cultural sanctions Physical - disability Legal / admin. …

34. Integrating S/GBV survivors in services:taking into account intersectional factors Class, disability, gender, age… ACTUAL ISSUES PRESENTATION OF SYMPTOMS Migraine Sleep issues Eating issues Personal history Socio-economic Psychological Cultural sanctions Adequate referral(s) to service providers Physical - disability Legal / admin. …

35. Our 5 recommendations for an efficient SGBV support service for migrant women • training of all stakeholders • involved in SGBV • work as a resourceful • ecosystem Adopt a rights-based, participatoryapproach • awareness-raisingcampaigns • on SGBV • Develop & implement • tools for improved case management • takingintoaccountdifferent • cultural constructs of gender & • the specificmigratorycontext

36. Key Performance Indicators

37. Agenda • Opening speech • Better Future : the Project •  SGBV case study and research •  Cultural competence • Intl Protocol on Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in conflict • Better Future : the Program • Closing Address

38. Thank you for your attention!