Ksenia Meshkova

Raising Awareness of Domestic Violence: the Case of Modern Russia Ksenia Meshkova

Domestic violence is a widespread phenomenon in modern Russia, and currently, little is done by the government or international organizations to combat it. This study intends to show that one of the main causes of the problem is the indifference of the people ? including governmental officials, militia, relatives and friends of the victims, and even victims themselves ? who do not view it as a problem. In order to test this hypothesis, qualitative analysis of traditions, literature, sayings, education and mass media was made and semi-structured interviews with Russian women were conducted. The second part of the thesis consists of case studies in which preventive measures and awareness raising campaigns about domestic violence in Austria, Germany and Great Britain are evaluated. Finally, best practice recommendations are made for how to organize an effective public awareness campaign in Russia.