To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.
This Better Story was collected by Alicja Bobek
CRiTiCALL was developed by the Dublin City Volunteer Centre, in collaboration with other organizations, in response to reports of increasing incidents of domestic violence during the COVID-19 restrictions. It originated from ‘Operation Faoisimh/#Still here,’ spearheaded by the Irish police force. The initiative is underpinned by the principle of prioritising domestic violence survivors and individuals vulnerable to domestic abuse.
Tackling Domestic Violence During Crisis
The primary goal of the CRiTiCALL initiative is to support people who have experienced domestic violence during the Covid-19 pandemic. Seven organisations joined forces to launch this initiative: Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Safe Ireland, Dublin City Volunteer Centre, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Volunteer Centre, Fingal Volunteer Centre, South Dublin County Volunteer Centre, and Wicklow Volunteer Centre.
CRiTiCALL provides home starter kits containing essential items for kitchens, bedding, and hygiene packs, which include items like sanitary wear, toilet rolls, shampoo, conditioner, and soap. Additionally, children’s back-to-school packs are distributed to those in need. These items are collected from donations within communities and are distributed to individuals who have left domestic violence situations. Many of these individuals find refuge in women’s shelters. As part of the support, letters of encouragement are circulated to people in domestic violence shelters. The overall aim of the initiative is to ensure that those leaving abusive situations receive the necessary support for their recovery and their journey towards a safer life.
Photo from Freepik