Women, particularly immigrants, are especially vulnerable. Immigrant women often face additional barriers to seeking help due to their insecure residence status. This fear of losing their right to remain in the country prevents many from reaching out to the authorities. To address this, two organisations—Passerell and Médecins du Monde—have launched an initiative to raise awareness and provide accurate information to both victims and professionals.
For the past two years, Passerell and Médecins du Monde have been working together to develop a pamphlet aimed at empowering women facing domestic violence and educating professionals on how to properly assist them. The pamphlet aims to correct common misconceptions that often discourage women from seeking help. According to Keren Rajohanesa, an attorney at Passerell:
“There are many victims who believe that pressing charges or seeking help from specialised services will lead to losing their residence permit or being deported. This is simply not true. Our goal is to inform both victims and professionals that their right to reside in Luxembourg is not at risk, and that they should take advantage of the protection available to them.”
This misinformation can prevent women from reporting abuse and accessing support services. However, under the Istanbul Convention, every woman—regardless of her residence status—has the right to assistance in cases of domestic violence. The real challenge, according to Stéphanie Gardini, head of social services at Médecins du Monde, is a lack of proper training for authorities:
“If social workers, police officers, doctors, and school nurses were more aware of women’s rights in cases of domestic violence, we could all work together to ensure these rights are upheld. It’s not that women don’t have rights, it’s that they’re not being properly enforced.”
Another significant issue is the overwhelming demand for services like women’s shelters. Each year, these shelters face waiting lists of up to 80 people, leaving many women without the immediate help they desperately need.
To address these critical issues, the new pamphlet, which will be available online starting Thursday, provides clear and accurate information for both victims and professionals.
