My Body My Responsibility
The men are using the pandemic as a pretext to isolate their family members and increase control over them. Through the project Min Kropp Mitt Ansvar, ASOVStockholm can create new ways to reach the target group, which to a large extent otherwise risks missing out on important social information regarding both the virus and what help is available when someone is exposed to domestic violence.
It is of great importance to increase the understanding of the target group and to strengthen their ability to counteract the spread of infection as well as violence and abuse in close relationships. By offering tools and information, the target group can also act themselves to create a long-term change.
Against child marriage
During 2020, ASOV Stockholm worked with the project Against child marriage, the purpose of which was to contribute to countering forced and child marriage. By creating a network, Women Against Child Marriage, which supports girls and women who are exposed or are at risk of being exposed to forced and child marriage, this must be prevented through increased knowledge and dissemination of information. The project’s activities included a large international conference in Stockholm/Skarpnäck in March 2020 with participants from all over Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Brussels, Canada, Switzerland, France, Belgium, England, Finland, Tanzania, Portugal where the topic was discussed by both prepared speakers and participants which provided dissemination of information to meet the needs with relevant knowledge.
The project’s target group consists of female quota refugees originating from African countries south of the Sahara and to include organizational leaders and decision makers. Sweden’s Minister for Gender Equality and representatives from various African countries participated in the conference. The conference took place before any gathering restrictions had been given, but in order to reduce the risks of the spread of infection due to Covid-19, some of the speakers participated via a link on a large screen image in the room in Skarpnäck’s Cultural Center. Lawyer Åsa Cronberg and professor/senior physician Anna Mia Ekström also contributed relevant knowledge that was in demand by the target group. During the evening, song and dance were performed by the cultural group Nagni and the dance group Afrodansen.
Democracy Together
The project’s outcome goal is to reach out to people from the target group with knowledge of democracy in general and democratic electoral participation and commitment in particular. The project’s impact goal is to increase knowledge among the target group regarding democracy. The project’s impact goal is also to strengthen the target group’s opportunities to participate in society’s democratic processes. The project’s impact goal is to create positive attitudes around democracy as a value base. In the project, informants will be used as a method to reach several thousand people from the target group.
The choice of the informants method is proven as ASOV Stockholm has used this method in previous projects on electoral participation. The method is successful as it is based on the target group’s need to be able to receive information and knowledge in their own language and is trained by someone who has knowledge of cultural frames of reference. The informants, in turn, must hold themed evenings for the target group to educate them in the importance of democracy, the value of democratic participation and commitment.
The long escape and me
Despite the fact that all municipalities must have integration strategies and several organizations around the country work with integration, it is very difficult to find more in-depth investments aimed at quota refugees. The Swedish Migration Agency has also identified a lack of support for quota refugees and has therefore chosen to change its strategies regarding the number of urgent quota refugees. They see, among other things, that there is a need to increase the municipalities’ conditions for working in a planned manner with the reception of the refugees. Since research has shown that early trauma increases the likelihood that an individual will become aggressive, depressed and have problems adapting to new environments, it is of great importance to support these individuals.
One of the traumas that is common among young people, especially girls and women, is being exposed to sexual violence and honor-related violence. The overall goal of the project is to contribute to young quota refugees feeling empowered to become an active part of society through organization and knowledge in violence prevention measures, integration, equality and sexual rights. Which was carried out via strengthening and knowledge-enhancing meetings, leadership training and outward-facing activities. All activities in the project are carried out using interactive conversation methods, feminist meeting methods and the participation of the target group in the project’s development. After the end of the project, the target group themselves will be able to take their organization further at the same time that participating organizations continue their collaboration with them through the methods and lessons learned during the course of the project.