Contributed by: Katri Tammekand, Estonia National VAW Monitor

In Estonia, there are now shelters, funded by the Nordic countries and the Ministry of Social Affairs, with trained specialists in order to help the victims of human trafficking and women involved in prostitution. The Nordic Baltic Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings has initiated a project that lasts until 2008 and that involves jointly developing instructions to help victims and create a system of shelters and services in each Baltic state.

Shelter services are provided by "Vega" of the NGO Eluliin (Lifeline), in Tallinn, NGO Women's Shelter in Tartu, and NGO Ida-Virumaa Women's Support Center and Shelter in Jõhvi. Help is offered mostly to women who are victims of sexual exploitation (most often prostitution), and who have returned to Estonia from abroad.

Also, help is provided to women involved in prostitution within Estonia and women who have come or have been brought to Estonia from abroad and who want to get out of prostitution.

The most important principle of the activities of shelters is that the different forms of trafficking in women and their sexual exploitation, including prostitution, are treated as types of violence against women. All the help work follows from this understanding.

For receiving clients to the shelter there is a phone number (+372)5624 0606 operating 12 hours per day (from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm). There is a coordinator of services answering the phone and organizing the distribution of clients between different shelters. In order to accommodate two women at the same time, the shelters have rented separate apartments. In addition to accommodation service, the shelters provide legal, psychological and social counselling and support services.

In addition to shelters, there are continuous counselling services provided by the NGO Living for Tomorrow; they can be reached at 660 7320 on weekdays from 10–18. Counselling services are also offered by e-mail jevgenia@lft.ee and online at www.lft.ee. This organization gives advice on how to go to work and study abroad safely in relation to employment contracts one enters into abroad. They also warn about the dangers of trafficking in human beings; recommend possibilities for getting help; provide information about organizations in Estonia as well as abroad; and, if necessary, will contact the police, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, embassies and other institutions in order to solve the problems of those in need of help.

Compiled from: Shelters for Women Exploited in Prostitution, Kristiina Luht, Chief Specilist of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Sotsiaaltöö no. 3/2007.