Domestic violence has no right to be silenced
The problem of domestic violence in Ukraine does not lose its relevance, especially in the last few years. In the conditions of quarantine, it became even more acute. Ukrainian society has begun to talk more about this kind of violence, and law enforcement agencies are increasingly focusing on this problem.
“We and other departments are constantly conducting information campaigns and can state the results, because the number of appeals is growing. This does not indicate an increase in cases of domestic violence, at the same time it indicates that people have begun to understand where to turn for help. In 2021, 50% more administrative offense protocols were registered. The number of prohibited prescriptions increased by 15% compared to the previous period. More and more offenders are on the register,” said Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Kateryna Pavlichenko.
Over the past two years, relevant units have been established in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to ensure coordination and effective interaction in the field of domestic violence prevention. In each area, there are sectors for combating domestic violence. In 2021 alone, the number of mobile domestic violence response groups increased from 45 to 86. They already operate in 67 cities in the country.
In order to explain to Ukrainians that domestic violence has no right to be silenced, at the end of last year a large-scale information campaign was launched — “The Thing in Tim”. For two years in a row, it takes place as part of the global action “16 days against gender-based violence”.
“The Thing in Tim 2.0” is a social initiative, within the framework of which an exhibition and an online campaign were held, presenting 16 items related to real cases of domestic violence. As part of last year's campaign, 16 videos were created with the participation of famous personalities: actors, presenters, musicians, scientists and athletes, who voiced the real stories of victims of domestic violence. The focus of each story is the thing that has become the subject of violence or is associated with it. Each video ends with a call: “Don't tolerate violence — call 102 for help.”
For the convenience of our citizens, the chat bot of the Ministry of Internal Affairs #ДійПротиНасильства has been launched in messengers. Its algorithm accumulates all the information for citizens to prevent and combat domestic violence, and provides an opportunity to contact the help services. It includes social services, police and representatives of free legal aid.
Department of Communications of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
