Women with a migration background living in Estonia are invited to take part in a new study on domestic violence, help-seeking, and access to support.
A new study “Mapping of needs of migrant women living in Estonia, and empowering the women, and creating materials for organizations working with migrant women” will seek to better understand domestic violence experiences of migrant women who live in Estonia, the main barriers to getting help, awareness of support options in Estonia, and what would make help easier to access.
The results will also be used to improve the information and guidance available both to migrant women and to organisations that work with them.
“We know that women with a migration background may face additional obstacles when trying to get help in situations of domestic violence, including lack of information, or language barriers,” said the project coordinator Maria Khrapunenko. “We want to make our input into policy-making, and creating bigger awareness about migrant women needs among organisations and institutions that encounter women with migration background, so they will be able to provide better support.”
As part of the project, several co-creation workshops will be held in the summer and autumn 2026. In these workshops women can validate the needs identified in the study and help us to brainstorm, how support could be made more accessible to women with migration background. The workshops are planned in Russian and English, with interpretation arranged when needed.
In addition, in autumn/winter 2026, information sessions will be organised in different parts of Estonia so that women can learn more about their rights and about existing support options.
If you are a woman with a migration background living in Estonia, your experience and your views matter. Please share your thoughts by taking part in the survey.
If you would like to join the co-creation workshops and/or information sessions, you can already express your interest here, so we can send more information about upcoming events. Pre-register for workshops or information sessions.
According to Victim Support statistics, in 2025 women’s support centers provided counselling to 1,743 women on a total of 9,151 occasions. Data from Statistics Estonia’s Relationship Survey (2024) show that 41% of women have experienced intimate partner violence during their lifetime. These women come from very different backgrounds and profiles, yet one target group has remained largely overlooked: women with a migration background living in Estonia, who often have fewer opportunities to leave situations of domestic violence and protect their rights.
The project by the Institute of Baltic Studies together with International House aims at helping women with migration background to access help in case of domestic violence.
The project is funded by the European Union under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme with €60,000.
