Against Violence to Overseas Chinese Women

AVOICE (Against Violence to Overseas Chinese Women) is AWDPI's pilot program, providing sustainable and effective aid to Chinese women suffering from domestic violence overseas. Started in 2020 in Belgium, AVOICE strives to build a powerful network of resources and volunteers, offering services ranging from medical and legal aid, to psychological help, shelter, and employment opportunities. Our goal is to help and empower women towards safety and better circumstances. As of today, AVOICE's service region spans three continents and 30 countries, covering all European Union countries, the UK, North America and Australia.

Program Abstract

Against Violence to Overseas Chinese Women Program (or Avoice, for short) was launched in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Against Violence to Overseas Chinese Women Program (or Avoice, for short) is committed to eliminating gender-based violence, promoting gender equality, and providing adequate and sustainable protection and assistance for overseas Chinese women threatened by domestic violence.

Through establishing cooperation networks with government sectors, overseas Chinese organizations, social organizations and experts in this field, and working with a wide range of public benefit teams driven by youth, our program advocates for the public’s concern and support for overseas Chinese women’s living conditions, creates safe and equal living and development environment for them, and help them to grow from victims of domestic violence into advocates and practitioners who promote gender equality and protect disadvantaged groups.

Program Background

Domestic (intimate relationship) violence is the most common violent behavior against women across the world.

According to the research data of the World Health Organization, one in three women worldwide has experienced domestic violence; additionally, victims of domestic violence are becoming younger and about a quarter of young women (15-24 years old) worldwide have experienced domestic violence.

Overall, some 641 million women have suffered domestic violence.

Current Situation of Overseas Chinese Suffering from Domestic Violence

By the end of 2019, there were approximately 20.7 million overseas Chinese women.

As to the population distribution of Asian women, Asia holds the lion’s share, followed by the Americas, Europe and Oceania, with the smallest number of Chinese women in Africa.

There is no comprehensive research and detailed data on domestic violence against overseas Chinese women. Therefore, Avoice took several countries as examples, combined the number of local Chinese and the domestic violence rate, and then estimated the scale of Chinese women hurt by domestic violence. The result is shown in the figure above.

Problems and Needs of Overseas Chinese Women in Domestic Violence

1. The existing domestic violence relief system cannot meet special needs of overseas Chinese women.

It makes them unable to obtain financial and safety guarantees in a timely and sufficient manner to maintain their daily lives.

2. Overseas Chinese women lack the willingness to seek help through official channels.

Due to their lack of understanding of local laws and regulations about domestic violence, together with insufficient awareness of legal rights protection and anxiety as migrants, they are less likely to seek help through official channels while experiencing domestic violence.

As an ethnic minority, it is difficult for them to get support from external social relations, because language, culture and nationality all act as hurdles in their better integration into local society.

4. They lack ability and awareness of self-protection.

The vague understanding of domestic violence, the lack of self-protection education and the deep-rooted traditional gender concept have severely weakened their awareness of taking domestic violence precaution voluntarily and their ability of self-rescue.

5. They pay less attention to domestic violence against overseas Chinese women.

Attention to overseas Chinese women, a marginalized group, is obviously insufficient. There has been no in-depth study, let alone relevant comprehensive intervention programs. Therefore, overseas Chinese women, who are at high risk of suffering from domestic violence, have become the neglected and silent group in the protection system for victims suffering from domestic violence.

Program Framework

Program Objective

We are committed to enhancing the resilience of overseas Chinese women experiencing domestic violence and helping them improve their lives and to secure a sustainable development in a safe and gender-equal environment.

Target Group

Overseas Chinese women facing the threat of domestic violence，including women who have suffered or are suffering from domestic violence and women who may suffer from domestic violence.

Case Support

Improve the domestic violence assistance system for overseas Chinese women, and establish a fast domestic violence assistance support and referral platform, so that it can meet the basic needs of overseas Chinese women in domestic violence prevention, assistance and follow-up services.

Language Support

Multilingual coverage: English, French, German, Russian, Dutch, Czech, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish
T&I and communication：provide translation and interpreting services, assist with the collection and submission of assistance materials
Sign language service：provide online sign language services for the hearing-impaired, assist with the communication, collection of information, and submission of materials, etc.

Legal Support

Legal information: organize and translate the anti-domestic violence laws and regulations of various countries, build a Chinese database of laws of various countries, and produce Chinese handbooks to popularize anti-domestic violence law
Legal advice: conduct case analysis and provide legal advice for beneficiaries
Legal outreach: provide local legal network information, assist in contacting legal institutions and lawyers, submit materials and help follow-up communications

Psychological Support

Psychological counseling: provide customized psychological counseling
Psychological courses: develop psychological courses and other psychological learning materials

Community Support

Women’s mutual aid community: expand social relationships and promote peer mutual aid
Online communication and learning: including domestic violence prevention, self-protection, legal knowledge popularization, group psychological counseling, gender awareness enhancement, etc.

Network Support

Assistance information database of various countries: include detailed information on shelters, medical, legal, psychological, financial aid and other agencies and experts
Information and Referral: provide appropriate agency information, assist in contacting relevant agencies, submit materials and facilitate follow-up communications. Establish cooperative relationships with some institutions and experts in the assistance information database to provide fast and effective resource docking for beneficiaries

Interview & Writing

Victims of domestic violence: listen to their experiences, record their feelings, and share their methods and experiences of getting rid of domestic violence
Anti-domestic violence practitioners: understand domestic violence assistance models and related systems, and share assistance platforms and information
Other related groups: Interview groups related to victims of domestic violence (children, relatives, friends, colleagues, etc.), and present a full picture of domestic violence cases and their impacts from a multi-dimensional perspective

Establish a Gender-equal Environment

Establish cooperative relations with relevant overseas government departments, academic institutions, social organizations, and media, strengthen research, publicity and advocacy, and increase public attention and support for the special plight of overseas Chinese women in domestic violence.

Case Study: Carry out case studies on domestic violence against overseas Chinese women

Country Study: Conduct surveys and country studies on the status quo of overseas Chinese women and domestic violence

Advocacy: Launch youth advocacy activities to strengthen the public’s awareness of the protection of Chinese women and to expand the influence of the program

Joint Appeal: Establish cooperative relations with relevant government departments, academic institutions, social organizations, and media, and jointly call for strengthening the protection and support for overseas Chinese women

Program Achievements

Beneficiaries

With the help of Avoice, more than 200 Chinese women who have experienced domestic violence have received adequate assistance and continuous follow-up services; thousands of overseas Chinese women have joined our mutual assistance community.

Key Advantages

Based on the overseas practical experience over the past two years, Avoice has formed a replicable program model which can be easily promoted, and established a full-fledged management structure, system and work process. From internal governance to external cooperation, it can achieve a remote teamwork from multiple countries, and with many teams and organizations.

So far, there are no programs against demestic violence for overseas Chinese women. Avoice can fill this gap very well, and meanwhile can explore a realistic path for newly established social organziations to work internationally.

Awards and Honors

In countries that Avoice has been implemented, it enjoys a great reputation and great influence among local Chinese communities and overseas student groups, and receives positive comments and feedback from multiple parties.

In 2021, Avoice was awarded the Hagar Award for Changing World Women, for “not just fixing a corner but laying a foundation.”

Technical Information

Having cooperated with experts, Avoice has developed a system of case assistance and an anti-domestic tool kit, completed with an anti-domestic violence Chinese database and law popularization manuals in some European countries, and established a database of more than 600 overseas aid agencies, covering shelter, legal, psychological, medical, and economic assistance.

Academic Research

Avoice has carried out academic activities such as research on overseas Chinese protection policies, research on the status quo of domestic violence among Chinese women in the US, and comprehensive intervention models for eliminating gender-based violence, and has written relevant research reports.

Program Development Plan

Improve the program model

Based on the pilot experience in Belgium and experience of replication and promotion in other countries, Avoice will conclude the experience and lessons learned in the program implementation, so that we can form a full-fledged and replicable program model which can be easily promoted.

Expand the scope of the program

In 2022, according to the distribution of overseas Chinese Women, the coverage of Avoice will be extended from Europe to Southeast Asia and parts of the United States; in 2023, it will be further expanded to Canada and Australia.

Expand partnerships

Avoice will expand partnerships with domestic social organizations which carry out internatinoal aid programs, integrate resources, and then jointly enhance the influence of women protection programs and organizaitons. At the same time, it will expand its partnerships in the United States and Southeast Asia.