On December 3, 2021, in the National community center "Prosveshtenie1870", Breznik, the team of PULSE Foundation held a round table on "Regional Program for Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Integration of Victims and Perpetrators of Domestic Violence and Sensitization of the family and society on the issue". The event took place with the support of the Municipality of Breznik.

The round table was attended by representatives of key institutions in Breznik related to domestic violence and gender-based violence - Breznik Municipality, Child Protection Department of the Social Assistance Directorate - Breznik, Local Commission for Combating Anti-Social manifestations of minors at the Municipality of Breznik, Secondary School "Vasil Levski", Breznik, etc.

The round table was opened by Maria Dobrevska, Deputy Mayor of Breznik Municipality:

“It is an honor and a privilege for me to congratulate the PULSE Foundation for organizing this round table on such a pressing issue as violence against women and children. We have a good relationship with the Foundation. The event is attended by representatives of the High School "Vasil Levski", a psychologist at the school, the Directorate of Social Assistance, the Department of Child Protection - people who work in particular on this issue. I hope it will be a fruitful round table, a fruitful discussion. Let's put the problems on the table and think about how to solve them in the future.“

Mariana Evtimova, Executive Chairperson of the PULSE Foundation, in turn welcomed the participants and presented the framework and objectives of the event:

“Today's round table was prepared with the kind assistance of the Municipality of Breznik. It is organized as part of the 16-day campaign on violence against women, which starts on November 25 - International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and ends on December 10, Human Rights Day.

It is a pleasure for us to come together so that we can not only discuss the problems and challenges of working with victims of violence but also share what violence in general is, in particular domestic violence and gender-based violence. The purpose of today's round table is to discuss a study conducted by the PULSE Foundation on the problem of domestic violence and gender-based violence in the implementation of the project "Regional Program for Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Integration of Victims and Perpetrators of Domestic Violence and Sensitization of the family and society on the issue”, to present the programs of the PULSE Foundation, to coordinate our actions, to recall the Regional Coordination Mechanism for Work on Violence, as well as to open a space for discussions.

Thank you for taking the time to be here. Working with victims of violence requires a lot of energy, a lot of resources, and a lot of support!“

During the event were presented the direct services provided by the PULSE Foundation for victims of violence, prevention programs, youth work, services to the Crisis Center and mobile offices of the PULSE Foundation to support victims of violence operating in Breznik. Emphasis was also placed on the individual approach in supporting victims of violence and the work of multidisciplinary teams of trained and sensitive professionals.

A Regional Coordination Mechanism for Violence Responses was presented with a focus on inter-institutional cooperation and networking.

During the Round Table, professionals had the space to share their experiences in the field of support for victims of domestic violence, to assess the existing challenges in their practice in relation to domestic violence and gender-based violence, and to make suggestions for more effective further development and optimization of services and programs on the territory of Breznik.

During the discussion, special attention was paid to the consequences of violence against children as the most common expression of domestic violence and how, in fact, during their behavior, it goes beyond the home. At the same time, however, the emphasis is on how difficult it is sometimes to recognize the symptoms of violence in the child's behavior and physical condition.

At the end of the round table, the priority steps to overcome the problem of "domestic violence" and the protection of its victims, set out in the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence and the Child Protection Act, as well as the urgent need for changes to improve their efficiency.