Strengthening social structures for the fight against SGBV amidst COVID-19 in the North West Region
The project to “ Strengthen social structures for the fight against Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) amidst COVID-19 in the North West Region” was aimed at creating community awareness and reduce the impact of SGBV on survivors, especially internally displaced persons and those living with disabilities, through provision of quality services.
The project had four specific objectives:
- To raise awareness on SGBV prevalence during COVID-19,
- To build capacity of community institutions to identify cases of SGBV in the community,
- To identify referral pathways that can provide assistance to survivors of SGBV and facilitate access to quality SGBV services,
- To build capacities of boys and men as partners in the fight against SGBV.
The project activities were:
Capacity building workshop with AGYW as Champions in the fight against SGBV
This workshop brought together 20 Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) drawn from the Tubah and Bamenda III Council areas and some Civil Society organisations working in the domain of Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV). Facilitated by a team from Doctors without Borders and and a GBV Case Manager from CBC, the participant gained insights on sexuality and bodily autonomy, SGBV especially how to manage Rape as well as the referral agencies where GBV management services are offered. At the end of the workshop, the participants were awarded certificates as Champions in the fight against SGBV and urged to continue the sensitizations in their different communities.
Dialogue meeting with Boys and men as partners in the fight against SGBV
The project also conducted a dialogue meeting with boys and men as partners in the fight against SGBV. The meeting aimed to sensitize men on different types of Sexual Gender Based Violence occurring in communities, consequences on survivors, referral pathways that can provide assistance to survivors of SGBV, and structures/institutions through which they can respond to cases of SGBV. The facilitators were members of DWB's health promotion team.
Workshop on Life -Saving Support Services -Psychological First Aid
Within the project a workshop on life-saving support services - psychological first aid for GBV survivors was conducted with the aimed at providing psychological first aid (PFA) to GBV survivors using elements such as LOOK, LISTEN, LINK. It was an opportunity for survivors to open up and share their stories with someone who would listen and provide them with necessary support.
Production of a Referral Pathway Document:
Equally a Referral Pathway Document was produced with vital information on specialized and proximity services offered by different public, faith-based or civil society organizations in the context of GBV. This document was put together to facilitate referral processes amongst service providers as well as offer quality professional holistic care and support services timely care for GBV survivors.
Mainstreaming Covid-19
COVID-19 sensitization was mainstreamed during all activities where participants were provided with face masks, wash hand buckets with soap for washing hands as well as hand sanitizers.