2 December 2009
On 25 November 2009, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Dnipropetrovsk State University of Interior in eastern Ukraine held the first interactive classroom to combat domestic violence for police cadets. The day also marked the start of the international campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence.”
Developed and led by the OSCE Project Coordinator with the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, the course is now used as a training tool for developing better police responses to domestic violence. After the presentation of the interactive training, a meeting with approximately 60 Ukrainian representatives from civil society, educational bodies, and law enforcement discussed the roles and relationships between the state, police inspectors, and operational procedures to combat domestic violence. The experts also conferred on how to improve protection of survivors and hold perpetrators accountable.
Ambassador Lubomir Kopaj, OSCE Project Coordinator, stated that “Police officers play a key role in state response to domestic violence, and the specialized course and interactive classroom developed with the OSCE in Ukraine will help future precinct police inspectors learn how to react more effectively to domestic violence.”
Compiled from: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, “OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine presents interactive classroom for police cadets” (25 November 2009).