Trump's policies impact NGOs aiding victims of violence, Czech Govt Human Rights Commissioner says this must be addressed
Several Czech NGOs aiding people in need have lost American financial support now that the Trump administration is in charge. Services for the victims of domestic violence and sexual violence have been affected by the new policy.
Jitka Poláková, head of the proFem organization, informed journalists of the change. According to Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková, it is now necessary to set up predictable, sustainable financing from the Czech state budget so that social care does not depend on donations, foreign grants and subsidies.
After taking office, Trump decided to freeze US foreign aid for 90 days. Next, he confirmed that he will gradually stop the activity of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which makes financial contributions essential to humanitarian aid worldwide.
According to Trump, the USA should also leave the World Health Organization (WHO), which finances health programs. “This has had a direct impact. We’ve already lost 10 % of our budget for this year and another 10 % is at risk,” said Poláková, who runs both proFem and the Center for Aid to Sexual Violence Victims (PORT).
Poláková said the loss is worth between CZK 4 – 5 million [EUR 160,000 – 200,000]. The Center for Aid to Sexual Violence Victims costs CZK 23 million [EUR 900,000] to run annually.
Two-thirds of that budget this year can be predicted, Poláková said, while three-fifths come from donations, grants and subsidies. The Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner said the Czech Republic lacks stable financing for social care.
Such care is not available republic-wide, therefore. The Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner noted that while in healthcare it is considered a matter of course that ambulances will arrive when needed, that hospital emergency rooms will work and that beds will be available, in the area of social services there is no such system.
“Basic service provision cannot depend on finding a socially responsible entrepreneur, or on whether the US administration will function. We would never allow that in healthcare,” said Šimáčková Laurenčíková.
According to lawmaker Barbora Urbanová (Mayors and Independents – STAN), in the Czech Republic, nonprofits aiding victims are frequently targeted for ridicule and labeled ideological or political. “It is exactly these organizations which fill in for where the state is totally failing,” said Urbanová.
According to a previous survey by the Association of Public Benefit Organizations, roughly two-fifths of the organizations surveyed in the Czech Republic said they had to use private donor money to finance services which the state itself had ordered from them. This mainly concerned their clients’ healthcare and social care.
Care providers have long complained about the setup of this financing. According to them it is uncertain, unpredictable and untransparent.
The Government promised in its program declaration to introduce payment of social services through a three-year funding cycle based on regional needs. An amendment to the law on social services was meant to adjust the current system.
That amendment will not be adopted before the elections this fall, however. According to the Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner, more than one factor is behind this failure.
“A certain part of the political spectrum does not perceive subjects related to social justice as deserving attention. We explain to each new Government why they matter. We keep having to start presenting the arguments all over again from the beginning,” said Šimáčková Laurenčíková.
She also mentioned the “low willingness of some politicians to work with data” and the disconnect between lawmakers, organizations and regional authorities.
What you need to know:
Czech organizations aiding the victims of violence have lost part of their American financing because of Trump’s policy to restrict foreign aid.
ProFem is reporting a loss of 10 % of its budget, or CZK 4 – 5 million [EUR 160,000 – 200,000]. Similar organizations are warning of their own insecure financing.
Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková is noting the necessity of stable financing for those social services which currently depend on donations and grants.
Nonprofit organizations often play the role that the state should be playing because support for social services is failing, lawmaker Barbora Urbanová (Mayors and Independents – STAN) said.
