Protection, Support and Services for Victims/Survivors

In August 2009 in Bukedea district, northeastern Uganda, OHCHR met with 36 Local Council Courts members to stress the right to equality before the law, as well as protection for gender-based violence survivors by the Local Council Courts. Hide

On 30 March 2009, OHCHR’s country office in Uganda carried out an investigation into cases of SGBV and other crimes in Moroto district (Karamoja), including the alleged rape of women by armed Karimojong civilians and physical assault of five other persons. Human rights components in United Nations Peace Missions in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone continued to monitor human rights violations with a special focus on gender-based violence including rape, female genital mutilation and domestic violence. Hide

In a meeting held by WHO in March 2009 the implementation and evaluation of health sector interventions was reviewed and an outline for guidance to the health sector, with a focus on resource poor settings, was developed. Hide

WFP has been actively involved in joint UN initiatives to deliver services to victims of gender-based violence. WFP provides food assistance for medical rehabilitation of victims and, through income-generating activities, supports the victims/survivors to become economically independent. Hide

UNRWA Gaza and West Bank Field offices continued counseling sessions for victims of gender-based violence through the Community Mental Health program (CMHP). Hide

UNRWA Lebanon field office developed their field intervention on violence against women in a workshop the 14th of July 2009. A referral system was drafted coordinating services for women victims of violence. Hide

In Syria, UNHCR and the Syrian Women Union are supporting a new centre for Iraqi refugee women at risk, particularly female teenagers who are involved in commercial sex work. Hide

In Liberia, UNHCR and its partners supported the establishment of a new community health department and organized community health committees and volunteers. The volunteers participated in awareness-raising sessions on primary health care, reproductive health, sexual and gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS. Strong coordination on sexual and gender-based violence is also on-going between UN agencies, the government and NGOs, and response mechanisms to sexual and gender-based violence are being put in place and strengthened. Hide

Action-oriented research on successful intervention modalities for Nigerian minor victims of trafficking was carried out by UNICRI in various Italian regions. Current modalities of services and assistance towards minor victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation were evaluated in several Italian regions in order to develop successful interventions. Hide

Technical cooperation was carried out by ECLAC with the Ministry of Health in Chile to elaborate a new clinical guide for health services’ attention to adult victims of domestic violence. Hide