NGO “La Strada-Ukraine” launches research on children’s access to justice in cases of domestic violence

Within the scope of the Project grant EU “Pravo-Justice”, implemented by Expertise France, NGO “La Strada-Ukraine” is launching the project “Expanding children's access to justice in cases of domestic violence”. 

In particular, Within the project, a team of experts:

  • will monitor court decisions in criminal proceedings and cases of administrative offenses;
  • analyze appeals to the National Hotlines, the activities of which are provided by the NGO “La Strada – Ukraine”;
  • will conduct a survey of key stakeholders – specialists involved in the processes of protecting children's rights, in order to determine their level of awareness on the topic of protecting children's rights, as well as identify the main problems and risks that may hinder the implementation of fair and effective justice in cases of domestic violence against children;
  • Based on the results of the above activities, it will provide recommendations to judicial and law enforcement authorities, as well as other key stakeholders within the project to improve access to justice for children who have suffered from domestic violence.

“We are grateful to the EU Project “Pravo-Justice” for the support and opportunity to implement this project, because the issues of respecting and protecting the rights of the child in situations of domestic violence require additional focus of attention. This project will be a powerful step towards increasing the visibility of children in the justice system in order to effectively respond and protect the rights of every child in situations of domestic violence,” notes Maryna Lehenka, President of the NGO “La Strada-Ukraine”.

“Since 2018, dozens of services have already been implemented within the framework of the Model Courts Initiative, aimed at improving access to justice for children as one of the most vulnerable groups of the population. We are confident that within the framework of our cooperation with the NGO “La Strada-Ukraine”, we will be able to develop practical recommendations for the judicial and law enforcement system that will meet modern standards of justice focused on the needs of the child,” emphasized Svitlana Maystruk, Chief Expert on Court Modernization of the EU Project “Pravo-Justice”.

NGO “La Strada-Ukraine” is an organization that has been working for over 26 years to ensure gender equality, peacebuilding, prevent gender-based violence, in particular domestic violence, combat human trafficking, and ensure children's rights.

The organization's main activity is focused on coordinating the work of two National Hotlines:

– National Hotline for Children and Youth (provided 167,867 consultations in 2024);

– National Hotline for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking and Gender Discrimination (provided 44,805 consultations in 2023).

EU Project “Law-Justice” – a technical assistance project implemented by Expertise France with financial support from the European Union.

After the victory of the Revolution of Dignity, the EU Project “Law-Justice” became one of the drivers in promoting the rule of law in Ukraine, bringing the country's legislative framework into line with European standards, developing a strategic vision for reforms, judicial reform, proper enforcement of court decisions, etc.