Responses and Services

UNFPA Madagascar supported centers and legal advice for victims of violence. UNFPA country programmes supported the strengthening of the health sector response to gender-based violence, and reported a higher percentage rate of inclusion of gender-based violence issues in pre- and in-service training of health service providers as compared to 64 per cent in 2007. Working with a number of partners, initiatives included the development of medical kits to treat survivors of gender-based violence in Guatemala.

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.

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

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.

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.

In Jordan, UNHCR and UNFPA coordinated a mapping of existing sexual and reproductive health and sexual and gender-based violence services available to Iraqi refugees. A matrix was developed and shared with the sub-group on Reproductive Health, the health group and other key actors providing services to mobilize improved services.

In Sri Lanka, the UNV Volunteer Information and Coordination Centre (VOICE) has been extended into 2008-2010 to include a Legal Empowerment Volunteers Scheme. This pilot project mobilizes university volunteers to support legal empowerment activities. Legal aid is provided to migrant women workers by 30 volunteers in seven locations. Through the empowerment scheme, the legal volunteers learn about marginalisation and vulnerability in their own society. The legal aid pilot project also concentrates on those affected by gender-based violence to help them attain equal access to justice.

UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, supported the establishment of the Kacyriu Police Hospital One Stop Centre for survivors in Rwanda (with UNFPA and UNICEF) and the national mapping of organizations providing services for survivors of gender-based violence in Kenya.

UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, continued to support the use of gender-responsive budgeting to secure budget lines for violence prevention, survivor assistance and access to justice in Mexico City and Burundi.

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.