Rostov Region hosts rehabilitation workshop for women from Chechnya

In the city of Novocherkassk, the Union "Women of the Don" is holding, with the help of the partner organization "Sintem" (Harmony), operating in the Chechen Republic, a workshop for Chechen women with the aim of their psycho-social rehabilitation. The participants of the event note that they would use the new knowledge in their professional activities and daily life.

The European Commission supports the project "Human rights for women - take into account"; the above workshop is held under this project, which is co-financed by the "Women of the Don" and entrepreneurs of the city of Novocherkassk.

The workshop in Novocherkassk started on March 26. The project participants, 21 women, have already visited the V. F. Komissarzhevskaya Don Drama and Comedy Theatre, walked around the city and visited the "Kosmos" movie theatre.

The project itself, as explained by its coordinator Natalia Katasonova, is on women's rights. "This workshop is for Chechen women only, mostly for teachers. Some of them had already attended our previous workshops on peacekeeping. The aim of this one is the psycho-social rehabilitation. The trainers are psychologists from the Novocherkassk Association 'Anima'," Ms Katasonova told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"Several women have already come to me and said that they were afraid to submerge again into their past. However, a return to one's traumatic experience in the presence of a specialist-psychologist is a good thing, since it triggers the mechanisms helping to quicker heal the trauma," said psychologist Galina Kondrat.

A teacher named Malika said that she was satisfied with the workshop: "We are all happy that the 'Women of the Don' are conducting such workshops; that someone is thinking about us and not leaving us one-to-one with our grief. All what I get here is presented so humanly, professionally and neatly. We are surrounded here with attention and kindness."

The workshop will last until March 29. The next one, according to Natalia Katasonova, will bring together not only teachers, but also school principals, law enforcers and state officials. Prior to the workshop, its participants will be invited to conduct a small study on women's rights. The findings will be summed up in a report to be later presented to the Ombudspersons in the Chechen Republic and in the Russian Federation.