A Safe Space for Healing

Project implemented with the financial support of  Vodafone Foundation Romania

In partnership with the General Directorate of Social Assistance of Bucharest Municipality and Bucharest City Hall

Implementation period: 06.06.2025 – 31.12.2025

Domestic and sexual violence are pandemics in Romania, and although the reporting rate has increased in the context of legislative changes in recent years, support services for victims of domestic and gender-based violence continue to be a challenge. Once they leave an abusive relationship, survivors of violence focus, understandably, on immediate needs, those of immediate safety, and most often neglect aspects related to emotional and psychological health. The causes are multiple, from the fact that they often cannot afford to cover the cost of a therapist, to the busy weekly schedule, to not giving the necessary importance to participating in a therapy program with a specialist.

In Romania, there are a number of challenges in terms of promoting mental health. One of the biggest challenges is the stigmatization of mental health problems. Stigma is what can discourage people from seeking professional help. Most of the time, when we are faced with an emotional problem, we prefer to talk to our parents, friends, and loved ones, ignoring the support of a mental health specialist. Stigma can also lead to the isolation of people with mental health problems.

Project goal and objectives:

• Increasing the level of information on mental and emotional health issues;
• Supporting the healing process of survivors of domestic and gender-based violence by providing individual and group psychological counselling services;
• Increasing the level of access to quality services for victims of domestic and gender-based violence.

Through the partnership with the General Directorate of Social Assistance of the Municipality of Bucharest – D.G.A.S.M.B., the project aims to reach:

Direct beneficiaries: Women and girls, victims of domestic and gender violence, from 18 years of age with group psychological therapy sessions.

Indirect beneficiaries: The general public through the publication of educational materials intended to inform, raise awareness and promote a culture of non-discrimination regarding mental health – over 200,000 indirect beneficiaries estimate based on the reach recorded by our accounts in the online environment applied strictly to the information and awareness category.

The project also aims to continue the promotion and information campaign regarding the Bright Sky Ro mobile application carried out in partnership with the Vodafone Romania Foundation, Necuvinte Association, Code4Romania, the Romanian Police and the National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons – ANITP.