Domestic Violence Victims
Find Hope at. . .
The Vilnius Women's House
and Crisis Center

Ruta Aidis is a Fulbright Fellow doing research on female entrepreneurs in Lithuania. She may be contacted at Vienuolio 12-4, 2001 Vilnius, Lithuania, or by email -- raidis@hotmail.com.

The main activities of the Center have been:

• A help line since November 1996 that provides information and support to victims of domestic violence. The help line is run by the Crisis Center's staff and volunteers who have received training in counselling.
• Personal consultations with lawyers, psychologists, and medical doctors, if necessary.
• The creation of a temporary shelter for women and their children in cases where the home environment becomes too dangerous or intolerable.

In order to find out more about the Center, I spoke with Asta Paulikaite a dedicated volunteer at the Crisis Center. She was able to tell me more about the Center's activities as well as about her own background and motivation to volunteer at the Center.

Asta Paulikaité ·as born in 1970 in Silutes rajonas of Lithuania. She came to Vilnius in order to study at the Economics Department of Vilnius University, where she obtained a degree in Economics in 1993. She is currently working as director of advertising for the local Vilnius television station. Asta began volunteering at the Crisis Center at the end of 1994.

Asta said that most of the funding for the Crisis Center has come from Norway and Denmark. With their financial assistance, an apartment in Vilnius's old town was purchased and renovated. In addition, both donors have played an instrumental role in transferring knowledge and know-how regarding women's crisis centers to their Lithuanian counterparts. In October 1996, some of the Crisis Center's staff were able to visit crisis centers in Norway. In June 1997, Asta, together with other volunteers and Crisis Center staff, spent a week visiting crisis centers in Denmark. Unfortunately the Center has not been able to generate support from the local municipality.

Currently, the Center's apartment has been renovated, and theoretically the space is available as a shelter for battered women. Some practical problems remain; such as, lack of central heating and a lack of funds for food and other necessities. At the moment, most women counseled choose to live with friends or relatives instead of coming to the Center.

The Crisis Center staff consists of a full-time paid director and 2 part-time staff -- a secretary and an accountant. The rest of the input comes from volunteers. Currently there are 10 volunteers who regularly volunteer at the Center, and 20 others who will become active in the future.

The Help Line is staffed from 9am to 9pm. The calls are varied. Many callers are seeking legal consultations, especially regarding divorce. There is a lot of ambiguity regarding the legal code since some laws have changed, while others remain the same as they did under the Soviet system. Currently parliament is drafting a new family code but, until the legislation is completed and approved, the ambiguity regarding old/new laws will continue.

All prospective volunteers take part in a 42-hour course. Asta found this training to be very useful because it taught her valuable skills; such as, listening fully to a woman's problems before considering what actions to take or before giving any advice. The course also provided the opportunity to meet with police and other organizations that come in contact with battered women. Though little assistance currently exists for women who are victims of domestic violence, Asta learned about other organizations, such as those that defend children's rights, can also provide assistance in situations of domestic violence. If the battered woman has children, then much can be accomplished working through organizations that focus on children's well-being. A violent domestic environment is detrimental for a mother and for her children.

Asta also commented that the reason little attention is paid to the issue of violence against women is because it is rarely reported to the police or other law enforcement agents. Often the police are not interested in getting involved, and in the case of rape, the registration process is time-consuming and difficult. As a result, most cases go unreported. Many of the current practices continue to be influenced by Soviet-mentality. During the Soviet period, statistics on domestic violence did not exist -- society as a whole viewed domestic violence as a 'private issue' to be solved or dealt with 'privately' and often the woman was held to blame for its existence. She was seen as not fulfilling her domestic duties. Asta noted sadly that if someone is being beaten on the street or in the stairwell, then the police will intervene. If a family member is being beaten at home, then the police would rather not even hear about it.

Asta Paulikaite, a volunteer at the Vilnius Women's House Crisis Center. Photo: Ruta Aidis

Though Asta was lucky enough not to encounter any violence within her own family, she was aware of many instances in which women's rights were being compromised and she saw the need for a crisis center. When Lithuania gained independence, the possibility to become involved in a social cause suddenly became a reality. Asta was very excited about the possibility to have the choice to become involved in a cause she felt was worthwhile. This was her main motivation to become involved in the Crisis Center as a volunteer. Personally, she feels that by providing legal information as well as psychological support, a woman will be better equipped to not only defend herself but also fight for her rights.

In the future, the Crisis Center hopes to continue building its international contacts and networks. Asta herself was able to participate in the week-long visit to Denmark's crisis centers. She found it to be very useful; since, it helps the Vilnius Women's Crisis Center build on existing experience and keeps the Center from 'reinventing the wheel' In addition, it is hoped that more crisis centers will open their doors to women in other Lithuanian cities. A future challenge for the Center remains the question of funding. At the moment, even funding for fixed costs, such as electricity, telephones, and heat, remains limited.

In order to protect their women they are trying to help, the Vilnius Women's House and Crisis Center uses a secret address. Those interested in contacting the Center can write to or call:

Vilnius Crisis Center
PO Box 1748
2000 Vilnius
tel. +370 2 61 63 80
email Asta Paulikaite: 74247@nelte.lt