IMPROVE video, t-shirts to combat domestic violence & new training content

IMPROVE welcomes you to its third project newsletter!

November 2023

A lot has been happening since the release of our last newsletter: We created a project video, met to work together, participated in the Clothesline Project, interviewed various people for our research, released new training content and more! Also, there are new interviews and blog articles directly with and from our project members. Jump right in!

Project video is out now! 📽️

We are excited to announce the release of our project explainer video, which sheds light on an urgent issue that affects countless individuals like Charlie. In the video, we follow Charlie's journey through the complexities of a difficult relationship, revealing the ambivalence and the questions that many people in this situation face.

Domestic violence is a silent struggle that often goes unrecognised, and those affected may find it challenging to seek help. But there is hope. The IMPROVE project offers a lifeline through AinoAid, a chatbot designed to provide essential information and guidance without the need for immediate in-person interactions.

Click on the image below to watch the video. 👇🏼

Project meeting in San Sebastián/Donostia, Spain 

The IMPROVE Project Consortium met in San Sebastián, Spain, from October 19th to 20th, 2023, to enhance collaboration and share progress updates.

Campaign: Clothesline Project 

How t-shirts tell the story of domestic violence

We started our "Clotheslines Project" campaign at the University of DEUSTO: We exhibited t-shirts telling the stories of the ones affected by gender-based violence and giving hope with positive messages. The production of the T-shirts was a collaborative effort involving our advisory board, partners, clients who sought their expertise for consultation, and students associated with Deusto Research. This initiative was inspired by our work on survivor interviews as part of our broader efforts addressing the issue of domestic violence.

Play the short clip below to see some snapshots from the exhibition! 👇🏼

Ongoing IMPROVE project activities

→ First results publicly available and further interviews ongoing

We have conducted interviews with victim-survivors and thank them and all who supported us on the way. The results of these interviews are now publicly available! We created two reports, “Factors Leading to Low Reporting of Domestic Violence and Restricting Access to Service”, outlining the barriers and enablers to seek help and “Victims’ mental maps of institutional response to DV and needs regarding AI Chatbot”, which will also support the further development of our AI chatbot “AinoAid”. You can easily access and download them from our website.

Currently, we are collecting data for the task “Response to DV and the victims needs in context of pandemic” and interviewing professionals from all sectors relevant to IMPROVE. We look forward to exploring what worked and what did not work in reporting, detecting and service delivery in the pandemic context. 

→ European Training Platform Unveiled (WP3)

We are pleased to inform you that our training platform has been redesigned and now clearly shows its European nature, uniting the three EU projects - IMPRODOVA, IMPROVE, and VIPROM. This reflects IMPROVE’s commitment to fostering a European perspective on the issues at hand.

→ Introducing Module 8 on Stereotypes and Unconscious Biases (WP3)

A new addition to our training platform is the Module 8 (Police, Health Sector, Social Sector, Legal Sector), dedicated to exploring stereotypes and unconscious biases in the context of domestic violence. This module provides insights into what stereotypes are, how unconscious biases form, how they manifest within the context of domestic violence, and strategies for overcoming them. Learn more about the campaign here.

→ Successful Joint Event on Domestic Violence at the University of Münster (Germany) (WP3)

On 26 October 2023, a collaborative event took place, hosted by the regional Münster chapters of the German Women Lawyers Association (Deutscher Jurstinnenbund, djb; Chair: Petra Meyer) and the German Medical Women’s Association (Deutscher Ärztinnenbund e.V. / DÄB; Chair: Bettina Pfleiderer), which was very well attended. The event, “Domestic Violence from Medical and Legal Perspectives”, was a resounding success.

During this event, IMPROVE was presented by Paulina Juszczyk and Prof. Bettina Pfleiderer [our partner WWU, Germany] providing the medical perspective. The legal perspective was presented by Dr. Petra Pheiler-Cox, judge at the family court in Münster, being actively involved in cases of domestic violence. The presentation included insights into the project's objectives within Work Package 3, particularly its focus on developing new educational materials for the judiciary. The image above shows the presenters and chairs of the joint event, from left to right: Bettina Pfleiderer, Petra Pheiler-Cox, Paulina Juszczyk, and Petra Meyer.

New IMPROVE blog articles 

In the fight against domestic violence, the IMPROVE project continues to develop tools empowering victims and enhancing reporting.

Our newly launched blog provides insights into our partners' initiatives, with two new articles awaiting your exploration. Stay informed about our progress in combating domestic violence in our blog section on the IMPROVE website.

“The potential of public-private-partnerships in combating domestic violence” by Ulla Koivukoski, Head of Ecosystems & Partnerships of We Encourage.

“The Potential of Restorative Justice in Domestic Violence Cases – an Alternative that Possibly Satisfies Victims’ Needs?” by Gabor Hera & Dora Szego, researchers at Foresee Research Group

IMPROVE partner interviews 

Our project partners now share their perspectives directly with you. 

To offer insights into the individuals driving the project, we've introduced a mini-interview series published on our website. Explore the latest interviews available now in our website’s new interview section.

Read Emanuel Tananau Blumenschein’s research for IMPROVE at VICESSE. 

Paulina Juszczyk (WWU) tells us about her work on the IMPROVE training platform.

Eduardo Bonet (PLV) shares his perspectives on IMPROVE's noteworthy promises.

Advisory Board

Our Advisory Board is completed and has started its work. We met some of our advisory board in San Sebastián and you get the chance here.

Meet our sister projects

IMPROVE is not alone on its mission to combat domestic violence using research. VIPROM and ISEDA have similar goals, too.