Advocacy, Counseling, Health Care and Legal Counseling for Victims of Domestic Violence in Pskov, Russia.

My four day visit to Pskov was coordinated by Elena Yablochkina, a psychologist and domestic violence victim advocate who is one of the lead staff of the Independent Social Women’s Center in Pskov, Russia.  Pskov is a city of 200,000 located in Western Russia near the border with Estonia.  This region of Russia was a home to Pushkin and has a wealth of cultural history with a Kremlin that dates back to the 12th century and survived WWII untouched. 
 

The Independent Social Women’s Center in Pskov provides counseling, psychological therapy, social services support, shelter, and case management support connecting the Center’s domestic violence clients with resources throughout the Pskov community to help domestic violence victims and their children heal and rebuild their lives.  The Center runs Pskov’s domestic violence hotline, convenes events that inform women in Pskov about the issue of  domestic violence and the help available to victims.  They are the lead trainer of a wide range of professionals who encounter domestic and dating violence victims in their work including: lawyers, health care and prenatal care providers, programs working with youth in schools on issues that include bullying and dating violence, police, prosecutors and the courts.  Elena Yablochkina leads the Center’s victim services, therapy, and training work.  I will be assisting Elena in identifying foundations in the U.S. that could be potential donors to support the work of the Center and collaborations with the Center’s partners.
 

Elena Yablochkina and Leslye E. Orloff
 

The Center’s Director Natalia Vasilyeva is the founder of the Center and is the Deputy Chair of Pskov’s Public Counsel of the Pskov Regional Police Under the Ministry of the Interior of the Russian Federation.  Ms. Vasilyeva was the founding Chair of this coordinating council for Pskov’s work on violence against women and justice system work affecting other vulnerable populations. My discussions with Natalia and Elena included reviewing and verbally interpreting into Russian several videos that had been developed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). They were interested in seeing examples of videos that could be developed in collaboration with government agencies on violence against women issues and learning about legal protections available for Russian immigrant women living in the U.S.  I was able to show them several videos that NIWAP assisted DHS in developing on immigration related abuse as part of the power and control dynamics used against Russian and other immigrant women in the U.S.; a video on identification of human trafficking victims and a training video of state and local police on U visa certification.  

They also had some great suggestions about how we could most effectively convey information to Russian speaking immigrant women in the United States about their legal rights under U.S. immigration, domestic violence, family and public benefits laws. Suggestions included providing information about immigration law protections for victims in the Customs areas where people wait in line to go through passport control.  This is an issue NIWAP has recently raised with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials.  They also suggested that once we complete the translations of the legal rights materials we promised ANNA (Association Against Violence) we would translate, that we work with Russian victim advocacy programs to see if the materials could be posted on vk.ru or odnoklassniki.ru.

Natalia Vasilyeva  and Elena Yablochkina
 

My trip to Pskov included visits with many organizations supplemented by visits to Pushkin’s Family Estate and the Pskov Kremlin. 

I met with Marina Zaknodnova the Deputy to the head medical doctor at the Pskov Regional Center of Medical Prevention and Irina Gayduk, Head of the Department of Prevention and their Healthy Life program.  These programs work with youth in a variety of ways.  The Center of Medical Prevention provides health care and prevention education to youth including prenatal care, contraception, reproductive health care, domestic violence, child abuse and dating violence.  The Department of Prevention specializes in educating youth regarding Healthy Life choices and has an anti-bullying program.  The work of the anti-bullying program includes work on prevention of dating violence among teen-agers and works closely with the Center training youth and the professionals that serve youth (psychologists, social workers, teachers) about domestic violence prevention.  Both programs work closely with Elena at the Women’s Center.

The health care providers were interested in hearing about the tools for screening for domestic violence in health care settings that have been developed in the U.S. Upon my return to the U.S., I will send the set of model questions and supportive materials recommended by Futures Without Violence that is being used extensively in the United States.  We also had a long discussion about the danger assessment tool developed by Jacquelyn Campbell at Johns Hopkins University and the benefits that each of these two agencies and the Women’s Center could gain from use of this tool in their safety planning work with victims domestic violence and dating violence. I agreed to determine whether the danger assessment and the evaluation tool for the danger assessment is available in Russian and will look into whether Dr. Campbell would be able to share these tools with health care providers and domestic violence victim advocates in Russia.  If the tool is not already available in Russian, my organization NIWAP would work on obtaining a Russian translation. 

Marina Zaknodnova , Leslye E. Orloff, Elena Yablochkina, and Irina Gayduk
 

These discussions were also productive in illustrating and sharing stories about the important role providers of prenatal care and women’s health care can play in detecting both current domestic violence and histories of child abuse and child sexual abuse. These meetings also provided insight on the role health care professionals could play in the U.S. in distributing information to youth about VAWA immigration protections.  When I return to the U.S., NIWAP will develop informational materials for health care and other service providers who regularly work with young people to inform them and enlist their assistance in identifying immigrant youth who suffered child abuse, sexual assault or incest prior to the age of 21 who have until age 25 to file Violence Against Women Act self-petitions. 

Other meetings included a meeting with the Pskov Legal Advisors Association and a local community development organization working on small business development with women in the Pskov region.  In these meetings I learned more detail about legal options for battered women in custody and child support cases including how Russia prevents travel abroad of citizens who have child support arrears.  The collaboration that the Legal Advisors Association has with Women’s Center's clients working together on cases of battered women who need legal assistance will be one of the areas of work I will be looking at to identify U.S. based private foundations that may support this work. 

With regard to the work that the Center for the Sustainable Development of the Pskov Region is doing, we had a long discussion about the approaches taken by women’s economic development programs in India, El Salvador, Mexico and Nicaragua and the useful information about those successful programs that may provide helpful examples for the program being developed in Russia.  Upon my return to the U.S., I will contact allies I know working on women’s economic development and will forward materials on economic development and micro lending programs for women.

Nelya Lebedea, Simon Nikonov, and Elena Yablochkina
 

Finally my meetings included a visit with Father Alexander at the Brook Rehabilitation Center for Drug and Alcohol Addicted persons. Father Alexander is both a priest and a trained psychologist.  We had the opportunity to sit in on a training in which he presented a very interesting tool for understanding stages of emotional development that both I and Elena thought would be extremely useful in our work with battered women.  Our interpreter, Suhrob Nurov, assisted me in translating the scale and I provided a copy of my handwritten notes in English on the scale Father Alexander described in his lecture to Elena at the Women’s Center upon our return from the visit at the Brooks Center.
 

For more photos from this visit see the photo gallery section of this website.

"The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position  of SEE or Eurasia Foundation".

More to come

Leslye

Meetings with ANNA (Association Against Violence) and Mari Davtuyan

During my stay in Moscow I met and spoke several times with ANNA leaders Marina Pisklakova-Parker and Andrei Sinelnikov and with Mari Davtyan.  These discussions covered a wide range of topics including Russia’s pending Domestic Violence legislation that will implement the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women(CEDAW).  I shared detailed information about the development, use and outcomes for domestic violence victims of civil protection orders in the United States. 

We also discussed the incremental steps advocates in the U.S. took to secure passage of the Violence Against Women Act and the subsequent opportunities that were provided by VAWA’s reauthorization in 2000, 2005 and 2013.  The discussions included the importance that laws have built into them a process and timeline for improving and updating the law.  This approach is particularly needed for laws designed to offer help, protection and assistance to victims of violence against women. 

Our experience in the U.S. taught us that there can be parts of the law that we envisioned would work in a particular way, that either did not work effectively or were implemented in ways that did not help or were harmful to domestic violence victims that needed updating.  The planned periodic reauthorizations of VAWA provided the opportunity to correct implementation problems with law, address emerging issues in the field, incorporate best practices into the legislation and update the legislation in light of laws, practices and/or policies that went into effect after the original legislation became law. I told Mari and Marina that I would be happy to review the draft Russian legislation and provide information, suggestions and supportive research data, based on what we have learned about protection order and criminal domestic violence laws in the United States. 

Marina Pisklakova Parker and Leslye E. Orloff
 

It was also important for me to learn about the dynamics of domestic violence experienced by Russian women.  Changes contained in the Violence Against Women Act of 2013 amended several VAWA grant programs changing the definitions of the populations that could be served with funding set asides from “culturally and linguistically” specific populations to “culturally” specific populations.   The effect of this change was to cut off programs serving several immigrant populations and religious minority populations from access to funding designated for culturally specific populations.  As a result programs specializing in serving Russian and Eastern European immigrant and religious minority (e.g. Muslim, Jewish) survivors of violence against women who are not women of color have less access to VAWA funding than programs serving women of color.  These groups instead were provided access to a much smaller funding source – Population specific grants which have not been well funded.  The largest group of survivors harmed by this statutory change is Russian and Eastern European victims. A goal of my SEE Fellowship is to learn more about the dynamics of domestic violence experienced by Russian women, gain ideas about how to best reach populations of Russian immigrant women in the United States and think together with Russian experts about resources available and steps I might take to build the case for restoring access to larger VAWA funding streams for programs serving Russian and Eastern European women who become victims of domestic or sexual violence in the United States. 

During my time in Moscow I learned about research that Andrei from ANNA had done as part of an exchange he had participated in the United States identifying best outreach strategies to provide information about domestic violence and the legal protections available to victims in the United States.  This work was undertaken for Futures Without Violence (formerly The Family Violence Prevention Fund) an organization that I have worked closely with for years.  Upon returning to the U.S., I will seek out a copy of Andrei’s report. 

In my discussions with ANNA we also decided that I would work during my SEE Fellowship to identify someone who could assist me in completing Russian translations of three publications that NIWAP had developed to provide immigrant women and the advocates they work with in the U.S. and Russia with accurate information about the legal rights of Russian immigrant women living in the U.S. who become victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or other crimes.  Once the translations are completed NIWAP will post these translations on the NIWAP website in one folder that contains all of the materials NIWAP has in Russian that ANNA and other organizations working on violence against women issues in Russia can link to from their websites to promote greater distribution of information about U.S. domestic violence, immigration, custody, protection order and public benefits laws that can help Russian speaking immigrant victims in the U.S. 

For more photos from this visit see the photo gallery section of this website.

"The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position  of SEE or Eurasia Foundation".

More to come

Leslye

An Impressive and Unforgettable Day in Moscow, May 9th 2015

To be in Moscow for the 70th Anniversary celebrations of the Russian and Allied victory that ended World War II was moving and simply amazing.  The singular importance of this commemoration for all Russians was evident all over the city.  There were approximately 20 million Russian civilian casualties and 8 million Russian soldiers also lost their lives in World War II.  

Our 4 hour walk from south of central Moscow to near Red Square and beyond was taken on a clear crisp sunny afternoon. It was a day in which we walked among an estimated half million people remembering the sacrifices of their parents, grandparents, great grandparents, and in some cases their children.  Thousands and thousands of people carried pictures of their fallen loved ones. Here are some of the pictures we took in Moscow on that day.

Jim Roby

Giving Shelter: A Significant New Collaboration Under Way in Moscow

On May 7th I visited the first non-governmental shelter in Moscow which is located on the grounds of a monastery, together with my husband Jim Roby.  We were joined by Nick de Haes an inspiring young advocate doing a college year abroad in Russia who is a volunteer for ANNA who served as our indispensable interpreter.  This shelter is funded jointly by the Russian Orthodox Church and a Russian corporation and is lead by a passionate advocate Alyona Eltsova.  Alyona has spent many years providing social services though her work with the Russian Orthodox Church.  This new shelter for battered women and their children opened in early in 2015 and is the only shelter in Moscow open to battered women without regard to whether they are Russian citizens or have Moscow residency papers. 

Alyona Eltsova  and Leslye Orloff discussion about the Violence Against Wome Act with the help of Google Translate....
 

During this visit I came to appreciate Aylona’s and the Russian Orthodox Church’s vision, that this may well be only the first of a series of shelters built on church owned land.  From my meeting with Marina Pisklakova-Parker I learned how leadership in the Russian Orthodox Church approached her to learn more about her work and ANNA’s efforts on behalf of domestic violence victims.  Their dialogue resulted in a mutual understanding that feminism and faith are not incompatible.  The Russian Orthodox Church chose to deliver shelter services using a well-tested feminist approach complemented by the support of a faith based community.

Alyona Eltsova 
 

Father Sarafin has played key role in welcoming the shelter to his monastery. He is an insightful, passionate and delightful man who welcomed us to the monastery. He is a man of conviction and vision who believes that this work is part of what he and other leaders in his faith must do for women and children who have suffered domestic violence.
 

Father Sarafin and Leslye E. Orloff
 

For more photos from this visit see the photo gallery section of this website.

"The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position  of SEE or Eurasia Foundation".

More to come

Leslye
 

Russian Encounters: Roundtable and Visits With Russian Domestic Violence Victim Advocates

View fullsize

My visit to Russia opened on May 6, 2015 with an opportunity to participate in a roundtable event on violence against women and gender issues in Russia and the United States.  The event was held at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.  This meeting provided an opportunity for exchange of information, ideas and research on violence against women, women immigrants to Russia, and a range of other gender issues. Over the next few days, I had a series of meetings with representatives from ANNA (Association Against Violence) including  Marina Pisklakova-Parker and Andrei Sinelnikov.  Marina is leading the working group in Russia involved in securing passage and implementation of Russia’s first domestic violence legislation.  I also met with Mari Davtyan one of the lead lawyers who has been involved in drafting Russia’s the new proposed domestic violence legislation.

View fullsize

Marina Pisklakova Parker, ANNA and Leslye E. Orloff, NIWAP
 

At the roundtable my presentation focused on how collaboration and communication has evolved and improved in the U.S. between victim advocates and attorneys and Federal, state, and local government agency personnel since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994.  My presentation covered:

·         How attorneys and victim advocates worked together with government officials in Congress on the Violence Against Women Act and advocates role in providing subject matter expertise to help federal government agencies implement VAWA in a manner that will effectively help domestic violence victims;

·         Training opportunities in which advocates/attorneys serve together with government officials to train judges, police, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on VAWA’s immigration protections and the legal rights in the U.S. of immigrant domestic violence victims; and

·         Collaborations taking place in communities across the U.S. between victim advocates and local police on U visa certification and the important role the U visa plays in promoting immigrant crime victim, community and police officer safety.

Presentations of particular interest included:

Andrei Sinelnikov from ANNA, a lead national organization in Russia on violence against women’s issues.  ANNA runs Russia’s first domestic violence hotline, conducts trainings across the Russia on domestic violence issues for a wide range of professionals working with domestic violence victims and leads a network of 100+ organizations working on violence against women issues and women’s human rights issues in Russia.

View fullsize

Andrei Sinelnikov,  ANNA
 

Elena Nazarova, from the Russian Presidential Academy made a presentation on women’s migration from Central Asia, Ukraine, Belarus and other countries.  She discussed the proportion of immigrant women from various regions that come to Russia alone, to follow husbands, and women who immigrate with their husbands and children.  Many of the challenges immigrant women in Russia face are similar to what immigrant women to the U.S. experience.  These include: balancing work and child rearing, access to healthcare, integration into Russian society and stress on the family for working immigrant women whose husbands are not employed. 

Marina Malisheva presented findings on domestic violence research in Russia.  Key findings included: most victims of domestic violence in Russia feel that they cannot expect to receive help from the police and that in Russia many still blame victims for the abuse.  One interesting fact was that her research like early research in the U.S. found low levels of sexual abuse reported despite physical abuse rates of 35%.  When asked what questions were included in their research to detect sexual abuse, I discovered that the low rates of reporting of sexual assault may have been related, as it was in the U.S., to the fact that many domestic violence victims answer “no” to the question did your husband sexually assault you, and answer “yes” when the question asked by researchers is whether your husband or partner has ever forced you to have sexual relations against your will.  One of the most important parts of her current research were her findings that 83.9% of the Russian population see domestic violence as a human rights violation and want to see more legal options for victims in Russia.      

Marina Malisheva  and Leslye E. Orloff
 

Mari Davtyan is one of the lead lawyers in Russia involved in drafting Russia’s pending Violence Against Women legislation.  The law will implement the international Convention on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEDAW).  The law will improve Russian criminal laws on domestic violence ending the current requirement in most cases that the victim self-prosecute the criminal case and be responsible for all evidence collection.  It will also create civil protection orders for the first time as an option under Russian law.  This roundtable provided an opportunity to discuss the pending legislation and share information about experience with protection orders in the U.S. that may be useful to the Russian victim advocacy community as they work through proposed amendments to the law.
 

Elena Nazarova and Mari Davtyan
 

For more photos from our visit to Moscow (me and Jim Roby) see the photographs section of this website.

More coming.... Leslye

"The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official policy or position of SEE or Eurasia Foundation"
 

Hmong New Year in Northern Thailand

Jim and I traveled up to Mae Hong Son in northern Thailand in December of 2014.  While passing through a village on the Burmese border we heard music and followed the sound.  We landed in the middle of a Hmong New Years celebration where all of the Hmong tribes in northern Thailand gathered to celebrate.  Here is part of our experience there. Hmong women playing musical chairs...