CAPTIVE European Project

Welcome to the home page of the CAPTIVE project. Gender-based violence (GBV) is a tragic reality for many women and girls across the globe. Women who are migrants or refugees are among the most vulnerable, with up to 7 out of every 10 migrant women reporting a lifetime experience of GBV. A portion of these women will be fleeing conflict-related sexual violence or may be seeking a life removed from where domestic and/or sexual violence, harassment and other harmful practices such as forced marriage and female genital mutilation, are normalised. However, sadly women and girls continue to be at risk of a range of GBV, like sexual assault, forced prostitution and trafficking, on their migration journey. In their host countries, a whole new set of challenges arise for women and girls related to their immigration status, cultural and linguistic diversity and economic disadvantage.

We are a collaboration of public institutions (University of Malta, Coventry University, University of Seville, prison of Zweibrücken) and NGOs (ANFE, Euro-CIDES) from six countries. We are funded by the European Commission under the JUSTICE programme to deliver a set of actions to tackle gender based violence in the lives of migrant and refugee women. This 2-year project will identify and share best practice in partner countries and gather data about the experiences of women in relation to GBV and help-seeking, service use and gaps, as well as involve the providers who work with them.

Our main aim is to develop and deliver an innovative suite of training activities that focus on GBV issues and promote cultural competence, including: workshops to a broad range of service providers, an online e-learning programme, and awareness raising for different groups of providers and community members. Another feature will be the training of female intercultural ‘mediators’ to work within communities in order to offer support to others and share information about rights, services and safety.

Project reference CAPTIVE/Just/2015/ RDAP/AG/VICT/9243
C.A.P.T.I.V.E. Cultural Agent Promoting & Targeting Interventions vs Violence & Enslavement
JUSTICE Programme – RIGHTS, EQUALITY and CITIZENSHIP – DAPHNE Strand
CAPTIVE project is coordinated by University of Malta, Faculty for social wellbeing.