For many refugee women, children, young people and LGBTQ+ individuals, experiencing violence is an unfortunate reality. No one should be exposed to such trauma while fleeing their home country, yet protection and assistance are often lacking.

Through our Reach.Out Plus project, we are dedicated to safeguarding the lives of individuals residing in refugee communities in Germany, Greece, and the Netherlands. Those who have experienced gender-based violence in particular need special support measures. What we do.

Context

Refugees are forced to flee their homes for a variety of reasons, including the threat of forced marriage and gender-based violence. Women in particular are often exposed to sexual and gender-based violence along the dangerous migration routes to Europe. State structures and professionals are commonly underfunded and unprepared to provide adequate support. This has serious consequences for the physical and mental health of those affected.
Even in Bavarian arrival centres and collective accommodation, protective measures are often lacking. Women, children, and members of the LGBTIQ+ community are particularly at risk. Access to help is often difficult, whether due to fear of stigmatisation, language barriers, or bureaucratic barriers.

Empowerment instead of exclusion

Reach.Out Plus addresses these challenges with a holistic approach. Since 2019, we have been working to promote empowerment, education, and structural change through gender-sensitive measures. The project will continue to be co-financed by the EU under the name Reach.Out Plus until 2027. It builds on the experience of the original Reach.Out project, which was implemented by Doctors of the World in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and the Serbian Red Cross.

How we Help

With the Reach.out Plus project, we are building on the success of Reach.out. We continue to inform asylum seekers and refugees in Upper Bavaria about the German healthcare system and their medical rights during the asylum process.

The four main objectives of our project are:

• Empowering victims and vulnerable persons through community-based awareness-raising and training.
• Improving first aid through targeted training of professionals in dealing with GBV.
• Promoting systemic change through better implementation and monitoring of EU-wide GBV guidelines.
• Expanding cooperation between civil society, state institutions and EU bodies to disseminate best practices and influence public policies.
   

Those goals are achieved through a multi-level approach, whereby refugees are trained to become multipliers. These multipliers then provide information and advice on health rights and mental health, as well as offering support in cases of gender-based violence within accommodation facilities. 

We offer workshops and individual counselling at anchor institutions. These focus on mental and sexual health, as well as protection against violence. The services are available in several languages. This helps us to reach as many people as possible.

Connected across Europe – locally effective

In addition, Reach.Out Plus includes further measures at a European level. In close cooperation with CARE Germany and CARE International, we are planning to implement the following:

• Training of 19 multipliers and cultural mediators from refugee communities, who reach over 5,800 people through low-threshold services.
  Provision of group services and individual counselling, including piloting a special helpline.
• Implementation of specialist training for 115 first responders, including a train-the-trainer module and updated referral guidelines.
• Publication of an online handbook and organisation of a public event to disseminate best practices.
• Political advocacy work through a joint position paper and an EU-wide roundtable discussion.

Strong Partnerships

Reach.Out Plus is supported by Doctors of the World's national organisations in Germany, Greece and the Netherlands. 
CARE Germany is a project partner, while CARE International is an associate partner, contributing its advocacy expertise. The project is funded by the European Union.

"At ReachOut, we support people who have experienced trauma in their countries of origin, during their journey to Germany or in Germany itself. Many of our clients have been victims of gender-based violence, including human trafficking, forced prostitution, and other forms of sexual violence."
- Michelle Kerndl-Özcan, Project Lead of Reach.Out Plus