Bratislava, June 21, 2023 – The Alliance of Women in Slovakia, in collaboration with the prestigious Norwegian organization Alternative to Violence, conducted an interactive educational seminar titled “Violence Can Be Stopped” on June 20, 2023, at the Pistori Palace in Bratislava.
“The seminar’s title is its strongest message and hope for Slovakia at the same time,” believes Hana Fábry, project manager of the Alliance of Women in Slovakia.
The seminar, part of the project “Stop the Cycle of Violence,” funded by Norwegian Grants and the state budget of the Slovak Republic, addressed the issue of gender-based violence and violence in close relationships. It presented possible solutions for women and children living in such relationships in Slovakia.
The keynote speaker of the seminar was the renowned Czech-Norwegian psychologist Barbora Jakobsen (photo: Hana Fábry) from the prestigious Norwegian organization Alternative to Violence. Ms. Jakobsen shared the organization’s experiences and her personal experiences working not only with victims of violence but also with perpetrators. She presented several exceptionally interesting research studies on the impacts of family violence on individual and population health, as well as significant effects on public finances and state budgets.
“Violence has serious economic consequences and increases the risk of worse mental and physical health for society. Politicians should know that prevention and quality assistance for people at risk of violence are crucial if we want to save something as a society,” emphasized Barbora Jakobsen during the seminar.
The “Stop the Cycle of Violence” project is an initiative of the Alliance of Women in Slovakia, which has been dedicated to helping and supporting victims of gender-based violence in Slovakia for a long time. With the participation of the partner organization Kiwi – Center for Development Support from Štúrovo and the partner agency Slovak and His Friends, the project aims to extend assistance to areas that have not yet addressed this issue and to present it as a crucial societal problem to the broader public.
Katarína Farkašová, director of the Alliance of Women in Slovakia, once again reminds, “In the context of our project, it is primarily about the southern region of Slovakia, but we would need mainly state systemic assistance, which is currently lacking in Slovakia.”
Information about the “Stop the Cycle of Violence” project
Study on the adverse effects of violence on health
Norwegian animated film Angry Men
Aliancia žien Slovenska 