About proFem

proFem o.p.s. is a non-governmentak organization, that focuses on social areas where women’s rights are violated, particularly on domestic violence against women. Other areas of focus are also inequality and discrimination of women in economics and other branches. These topics are approached at public events, conferences and seminars, that we organize. We also lobby, support creating of shared networks, publish our own and foreign informative materials. Furthermore, we contact foreign organizations, take part in international project, conferences and seminars and work within the international network of organizations. proFem’s goal is to contribute to strengthen the personal, social and political status of women in our society.

Our address and main contacts:

proFem o.p.s.
Plzeňská 66, 150 00 Prague
Czech Republic

map here

Tel./fax: 224 910 744

info@profem.cz
www.profem.cz

We operate following helplines:

Legal Helpline for Women –
Victims of Domestic Violence
every Tuesday 9:00 to 12:00 a.m. and Wednesday 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
phone No.: +420 608 22 22 77


You can support us:

Fund of Legal Help for Women –
Victims of Domestic Violence
account number: ČSOB, Praha 2, 478 878 963/0300, password FOND

New publication

Domestic Violence in the Czech Republic: Summary and Proposed Measures

In: JUDr. J.Voňková, Mgr. I.Spoustová, Domácí násilí v českém právu z pohledu žen, 2 releases, Prague 2008

Domestic violence did not become a socially reflected problem in the Czech Republic until women’s organisations succeeded in promoting media coverage of this long ignored socially pathological phenomenon, defining it as: unprovoked, repeated and escalating violent behaviour on the part of the aggressor raising fear in the threatened person (persons), where the roles of both parties are defined clearly and permanently....whole text

Our main projects:

AdvoCats for Women and
the Legal Helpline for Women – Victims of Domestic Violence

AdvoCats is a legal project, a core of proFem activities. It is a long-term goal in this area to create a centre of legal help for women who have encountered violation of their rights. Free legal consulting for clients – victims of (not only) domestic violence has been working for several years already, in the form of the „Legal Helpline for Women-Victims of Violence“ that works every Tuesday 9:00 to 12:00 a.m. and Wednesday 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 608 22 22 77. Clients have an opportunity to consult their problems with a lawyer, possibly to arrange a personal appointment to arrange legal services
We provide free legal support, a possible escort, and pleading for victims of violence at courts in Prague, Brno and Most. 

Bridges for Women

"Bridges for women" are courses for unemployed women of groups, who are particularly disadvataged on the labor market, e.g. women above the age of 50, women leaving their maternity leave and women, who suffered any kind of abuse. Our courses shall help these women to regain their self-confidence, the skills necessary for succeeding in the job market and a certain financial independence. In these courses, women can learn computer basics, as well as learning more about themselves, their chances in the job market, the right behaviour at job interviews, and at least partially deal with the traumas they have experienced. The courses are run from 09/2007 - 04/2008. For more information, call +420 77 44 33 004.

Let's Stop Domestic Violence by Means of Law

Within the Daphne II. program initiated by the European Commission, proFem has focused on comparing legislative treatment of domestic violence, and particularly on the application of law in this area. This one-year project’s goal was to compare legislatives and law enforcement in individual countries of the EU. Based on these findings, EU received tangible recommendations for issuing a directive amending the area of domestic violence on a legal level. In January 2007, Prague hosted a four-day international congress „Let's stop domestic violence by means of law“. This congress hosted experts from various EU countries who discussed in detail the question of application of law in this area.

Fund-raiser for the Fund of Legal Help for Women - Victims of Violence

We have been organizing such events since 2004. The goal is to raise awareness about domestic violence and violence on women, but also a very practical purpose – to raise funds for the Fund of Legal Help. This Fund supports both clients at legal proceedings and lawyers providing free legal consulting. The last concert took place on October 1, 2006 under the auspices and in co-operation with Světlana Nálepková and Radek Brzobohatý. This concert was called „Music Against Domestic Violence“. Our media partners for these events were Radio Impuls, TV stations Óčko and OMD. The main partner is Avon and we had the support of the Prague 1 authorities.

GITA - Gender Press and Information Agency (genderová tisková a informační agentura)

GITA is an independent project within the proFem activities. It is focused on providing free media service for journalists as well as wide public. Its mission is mainly public education in topics of gender and women, but also in the attitude towards social minorities.
http://www.ta-gita.cz/

Prague Against Domestic Violence

The initiators of this campaign are proFem in co-operation with Prague City Hall, in particular with the department of crime prevention. Students of two high schools specializing on art and design (the Václav Hollar Art School and the Orange Factory private school) took part in a contest for the best design of a poster for the campaign against domestic violence. The exhibition of the designs had been displayed in the fall at the Prague 2 Town Hall and at shopping malls Palác Flóra and Centrum Chodov. During this year, the winning design by Tereza Ujevičová shall appear in public transportation facilities and other public places.

„Famous Women of Central Europe“ notebooks

The theme of the 10th jubilee issue of this Czech feministic notebook is „female presidents and revolutionaries“. The portrayed women live in today’s world, half of them come from the so-called third world, the other half from so-called first world. Through their work and mere existence, all of them have certain influence on our world. From each region, we always chose two women – a president and a revolutionary: „a president“ is e.g. a woman in high politics, surprisingly not always a woman who accepted men’s approach to politics. But a „revolutionary“, people’s woman, does not fit in these clichẻs either ...This is the beginning of a new era of the Famous Women notebook – an archeological phase of searching for women in the history of a certain region. It is getting open to the world and reaches far beyond the borders of the Central European region, as was the original idea. On October 23, 2006 there was a gala opening of this jubilee issue of the notebook. It took place at the Goethe Institute in Prague, with the attendance of Prof. Luise Pusch, a renown German linguist and the founder of the world database of famous women.

proFem annual reports to be downloaded:                                           Outcomes of the Congress "Let´s fight domestic 
                                                                                                                                 violence by means of law"