Programme for Women Survivors of Trafficking in Women

Trafficking in women is the most destructive form of violence that the Centre works against. The women survivors of trafficking need intensive emotional and social rehabilitation. There are parallels between the experience of trafficking and surviving a concentration camp. In order to survive these situations, the victim often suppresses her psychological and human identity. Because they suffer isolation and captivity, these women lose all connections with their families and all other social and emotional resources. These women also suffer from society's stigmatisation and victimization of women involved in prostitution. The programme provides a combination of emotional and social support. The aim is for the woman to learn to manage dark thoughts about the meaning of her life, without denying her past or losing confidence in her future. With help from psychotherapists, the women learn to acknowledge and accept their history of captivity and prostitution. In order to start planning their future, it is necessary for the women to reconsider and overcome their feelings of guilt and shame and reclaim their human identity. The social support aims to help the women recover basic things that they have lost - shelter, money, and connection with their families.
The programme is established to be of use to women:

• Who were forced to be prostitutes through coercion, violence, and manipulation
  
• Who were threatened with kidnapping, sold, and
• forced into prostitution abroad
  Women from other countries who were trafficked in Bulgaria.
• Trafficking and forced prostitution mark and devastate the lives of women victims. The trauma has serious effects on their emotional life and their mental health. They need special care and time for rehabilitation. The programme helps women to overcome the difficult events, to reclaim their autonomy, and to cope with future difficulties.
  This is only possible when women:
  
• Find support, understanding, and do not feel blamed
  
• Find a safe and protective environment where they can share their problems and priorities
  
• Can share strong feelings (fear, shame, guilt, anger) and receive support in order to cope
  
• Find support when they have flashbacks and remember the horror they experienced
  
• Receive support in regaining self-esteem
  
• Have an opportunity to discuss their safety and their plans for the future
  
• Explore the symptoms of mental trauma and receive support in overcoming them
  
• Find support in regaining trust in people and in life
  

Programme for Women Survivors of Domestic Violence

Programme for Women Survivors of Sexual Violence