OSCE supports study visit to Austria on protection of domestic violence for Azerbaijani officials and representatives of civil society

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Baku supported a five-day visit of 12 representatives from Azerbaijani state agencies and civil society organizations to Austria to look at best practices on running shelters and providing services to victims of domestic violence. The visit, which took place from 3 to 7 November 2014, was a part of the project aimed at supporting the effective implementation of the law on the prevention of domestic violence in Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani delegation met with representatives of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education and Women Affairs, the Vienna City Department for Women’s Affairs, the Austrian Women’s shelter network, the network of European Women NGOs and national women’s helpline. They also visited shelters for victims of domestic violence, the domestic abuse intervention centre and the institute for conflict research.

The main topics of discussion included the review of working methods on how to treat victims of domestic violence, enforcement of domestic violence victim’s rights and protection from violence, psychological, social and legal assistance to victims, as well as supporting women through counselling and awareness raising activities. Participants to the study visit and interlocutors in Austria also exchanged views on possible co-operation in the future.