The project aims to improve the access of LGBTI victims of domestic violence to justice and victims’ support services. This will be achieved by enhancing reporting of such cases, the responsiveness of the law-enforcing institutions to them, and laying the foundations for updrading the national law to ensure equal protection of all victims of domestic violence, regardless of their SOGIESC (sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, sex characteristics). The project will produce an analytical report, based on field and desk research, that will support evidence-based advocacy action. An expected outcome is raised awareness among LGBTI people and improved collaboration with public institutions on addressing the issue.

Output 1: The project will contribute by promoting an online reporting platform for LGBTI victims of domestic violence. Although anonymous, the reporting will include demographic information about the person filing the report. In the absence of official statistics, this data collected via this platform will be the only reliable source of information on the scope of the problem of domestic violence against LGBTI people. We expect at least 100 individual reports to be collected via the reporting platform within the project. 

Output 2: Preparation of an analytical report that will be used as an awareness raising and advocacy tool. 

Output 3: Advocacy for improving the legal framework, consisting of 5 meetings with decision-makers; 240 post-cards with messages to the MPs, participation in 3-5 work meetings of relevant public bodies and/or one-on-one meetings with relevant politicians to present out advocacy goal and seek ways to improve collaboration with the law-enforcement institutions in improving the access of LGBTI victims of domestic violence to justice and victims support services.

Output 4: Raising awareness among LGBTI people that domestic violence is a type of crime that should not be kept a secret, improving motivation for reporting. 

Expected outcomes: 

• – Improved collaboration with relevant stakeholders in the public sphere that leads towards equal protection of LGBTI victims of domestic violence and access to services; 
• – Enhanced reporting of cases to the police, increased number of requests for protection to the local courts, and an increased number of positive decisions of the countries to provide protection to LGBTI victims;
• – A specific plan how to work for amending the law to ensure 100% equal protection and to avoid subjective interpretations by judges in the local courts. The plan may involve LGBTI experts being invited to work groups for amending the law, or any other relevant steps, which will be discussed and agreed upon with relevant public bodies and political allies. 
• – Enhanced visibility of the issue of domestic violence against LGBTI people in the social mainstream and among LGBTI allies.