The National Centre for Knowledge on Men's Violence Against Women

Gun HeimerProfessor, MD, Head of NCK

Nordic Council of Ministers Conference on Sexual Assault

Tallinn May 8, 2014

Responsibility of the member states:

“States should pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating violence against women.”

UN Declaration on the Elimination

of Violence against Women

Proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 48/104 of December 20th 1993

1993 The Commission on Violence against Women

1994 NCK is established – combined Specialist clinic and national knowledge and resource center

1998 Violence against Women – Government Bill 1997/98:55

2005 New legislation of sexual crimes

2007 National action plan (2007/08:39)

Sweden’s response

NCK is commissioned to:

• Collect and spread knowledge, research and methods

• Provide training for students and professionals

• Carry out clinical research

• Develop new methods

• Support government agencies and organisations

• Provide support for women

Areas of responsibility

• Men’s violence against women

• Violence and oppression in the name of honour

• Violence in same-sex relationships

Interdisciplinary Field• Medicine

• Law

• Sociology

• Criminology

• Psychology

• Gender studies

• Public health studies

• Political science

• The National Programme for the care of victims of sexual assault

• Methods for asking about violence in the health care

• The National Women’s Helpline – Kvinnofridslinjen 020-50 50 50

Examples of governmental commissions

Visit by Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt

Governmental commission:National Action Programme for the Care of Victims of Sexual Assault

In order to

• improve the medical andpsychosocial care

• clarify the health careservices’ role in the judicial process

The Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit

• Pre-packaged set for medical examination of women and men

• Includes the Guide and information about the helpline for women

• Available nationally since January 2011

• Instructional film

• Multi-disciplinary anthology on rape

• Cartoon style short stories

• Website

• Available in English

• Project in South Africa

Work goes on…

Governmental commission:Methods for asking about violence in the health care

• Violence affects the health in many different ways

• Very few tell the doctor spontaneously

Benefits of identifying abuse

• Adequate help for women subjected to violence can be provided

• Can explain symptoms

• Improved quality of life for the woman

• Less use of health care resources

Routine questions in health care

• Anthology

• 19 authors, experts in their fields

• Recommendations

• Films and workbook

National prevalence study “Violence and health”

• 10 000 women and 10 000 men

• Experience of violence during lifetime

• First results presented in February

• English translation available in June 2014

 Type of sexual violence AgeProportion of

women %Proportion of

men %

Being forced, through the use or threat of physical violence, to have sexual intercourse or similar

Before the age of 15

8 3

15-17 8 2

Total before the age of18

13 4

In adult life 11 1

All ages 20 5

Including being restrained, hugged, kissed, caressed etc against one´s will

All ages 42 15

Including humiliation and harassment

All ages 65 28

Exposure to sexual violence

Provide training

Training is one of the cornerstones of NCK's work

- regionally, nationallyand internationally

• University courses- Students and professionals

• Undergraduate programmes- Nurses, midwives, lawyers, doctors, police etc

• Commissions from authorities and organisations

Project with Sida in South Africa

• Cooperation between NCK, Sida and Foundation for Professional Development

•Training for doctors, nurses and school staff

• 2011-2012

NCK’s out-patient clinic

• Started in 1994

• The first specialist clinic in Sweden for women subjected to violence

• Specialist nurses and doctors (psychiatrist, gynaecologist, GP)

• Models for best practice

Kvinnofridslinjen 020-50 50 50

• A national telephone helpline for women

subjected to threats or violence

• Commissioned by the Swedish Government

• Run by NCK’s clinical unit at Uppsala University Hospital

• Started in December 2007

• Open 24/7/365

• Callers may remain anonymous

• Free call, does not appear on the phone bill

• Access to interpreters

• Can only be reached from within Sweden

Availability

Well-trained staff

• Nurses and social workers

• Minimum five years experience

• We listen, support and motivate

• We can inform about local resources all over Sweden: women’s shelters, social service, other helplines etcetera

70-80 calls a day

Relatives and friends

Women subjected to violence

Authorities, employers or other

Access to information for victims

• Websites

• Banners on internet

• Ads in newspapers and magazines

• Press releases

• Posters, leaflets and information cards (over 25 languages)

• Social media

www.kvinnofridslinjen.se

• More than 250 000 visits in 2012• Short facts about violence, Q&A, links• In Swedish, English and Easy-to-read Swedish• Shorter texts in 25 other languages

www.nck.uu.se

www.kvinnofridslinjen.se

KvinnofridNCK

Kvinnofridslinjen

020-50 50 50