PRESENTATION ON THE MODEL FOR SEXUAL AND GENDER BASED VIOLENCE COORDINATED RESPONSE CENTRES CRCS FOR

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PRESENTATION ON THE MODEL FOR SEXUAL AND GENDER
BASED VIOLENCE COORDINATED RESPONSE CENTRES
(CRCS) FOR SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL AND GENDER BASED
VIOLENCE (SGBV)

• COORDINATED RESPONSE CENTRES IN ZAMBIA

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INTRODUCTION

•  
• CARE Zambia is a non sectarian, non profit
  development organization working to assist the
  poor in rural and urban communities.
• CARE began operating in Zambia in January 1992 at
  the invitation of the Zambia Government and
  operated with an initial focus on emergency
  relief.

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INTRODUCTION CONTD

• The emphasis of programming has since shifted to
  long term community development with individual
  projects each focusing on different aspects of
  poverty.
• One of these is ASAZA, CARE Zambias Sexual and
  Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Program

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BACKGROUND

• CARE Zambia recognizes the impact of SGBV in all
  its programs and understands the need to consider
  SGBV as a human rights issue with powerful
  impacts,
• CARE Zambia first implemented SGBV projects in
  two Angolan refugees camps -1999 to 2004 -
  provided support to survivors of SGBV and
  established highly effective mobile courts.

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BACKGOUND CONTD

• CARE Zambia then implemented a pilot SGBV project
  which has developed a successful model for
  Coordinated Response Centers (CRCs).
• This model is the first of its kind in Zambia,
  and serves as a one-stop site at which survivors
  can find medical, psychological and legal
  support.

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BACKGOUND CONTD

• CARE Zambia is now implementing A Safer Zambia
  (ASAZA), an expansion of the SGBV pilot and is
  funded by the EU and the USG under the
  Presidential Womens Justice and Empowerment
  Initiative (WJEI)
• The program seeks to eliminate SGBV through a
  number of preventive and restorative initiatives.
  Preventive initiatives include informational,
  educational and behavior-change communications
  and restorative includes the provision of direct
  support to survivors.

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UNIFYING FRAMEWORK

• The Unified Framework is what CARE stands for and
  it addresses poverty eradication through a
  three-pronged approach that takes into
  consideration equity, livelihood and policy
  engagement. Theses are
• Improving Human Conditions Supporting efforts
  to ensure that peoples basic needs are met and
  that they attain livelihood security.

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UNIFYING FRAMEWORK CONTD

• Improving Social Positions Supporting peoples
  efforts to take control of their lives and
  fulfill their rights, responsibilities and
  aspirations.
• Creating a Sound Enabling Environment
  Supporting efforts to create public, private,
  civic and social institutions that promote just
  and equitable societies.

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ASAZA IN THE UNIFYING FRAMEWORK

• Human condition is addressed by providing
  comprehensive direct services to SGBV survivors.
• Social position is addressed by providing
  information, education and behavior-change
  communications

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ASAZA IN THE UNIFYING FRAMEWORK CONTD

• Enabling environment is addressed by providing
  standardized protocols for case management to be
  adopted by government to enhance the provision of
  care.

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RIGHTS BASED APPROACH

• A rights-based approach assumes the creation of
  an enabling environment in which human rights can
  be enjoyed.
• ASAZA is addressing this by increasing
  institutional support and capacity of SGBV actors
  to address the unmet needs of victims and
  survivors of SGBV in Zambia.

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MAJOR DELIVERABLES

• National awareness on SGBV created through
  broadcast, print media and community outreach to
  help all Zambians re-examine gender assumptions
• Comprehensive direct services provided to SGBV
  survivors in one stop sites
• Comprehensive and standardized training provided
  to SGBV survivors service providers

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MAJOR DELIVERABLES CONTD

• Prosecution rate of SGBV cases improved and SGBV
  response rate improved due to well sensitized
  service providers and partners
• Standardized protocols developed for the
  provision of enhanced care and case management

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SUCCESS CRITERIA

• Increased knowledge and changes in attitudes and
  behaviors surrounding
• GBV reaching 2,050,000 people
• Eight functioning CRCs providing high-quality
  services to an estimated 800 GBV survivors a
  month.
• Service providers benefit from standardized
  protocols resulting in enhanced care and case
  management
• A coordinated response institutionalized in the
  seven districts.

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ASAZA PARTNERS

• CARE is working in partnership with World Vision
  which, via a sub grant, is serving as CAREs
  major partner in ASAZA.  Both CARE and WV bring
  to ASAZA a number of partner organizations. 
  ASAZA is also collaborating with certain elements
  within the Zambian government.

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ASAZA PARTNERS
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BACKGROUND TO CRCs IN ZAMBIA

• Zambia is a landlocked country located in the
  southern part of Africa surrounded by eight
  countries. Zambia covers approximately 752,000m2
  with a population of about 11 million people, 60
  of whom are female.
• Between 2004 and 2006 the number of SGBV cases
  (Rape, attempted rape, indecent assault and
  defilement) reported to the Police was between
  2,400 and 4,000 cases annually.

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BACKGROUND TO CRCs IN ZAMBIA CONTD

• The Zambia Demographic Health Survey (DHS) study
  in the same period revealed that 84 of rural men
  and 87 of rural women found wife beating
  justified in some circumstances
• The study revealed a high level of acceptance of
  the legitimacy of violence because traditional
  norms teach women to accept, tolerate and even
  rationalize battery.

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BACKGROUND TO CRCs IN ZAMBIA CONTD

• 53.2 of the women had experienced beatings or
  physical mistreatment in their adult lives,
  nearly 78 percent at the hands of their husband
  or partner.
• 16.9 of women aged 15-19 had experienced sexual
  violence, the highest among any age group.
• In Zambia as like everywhere else in the region,
  strong evidence linked womens and girls
  subordination and related exposure to violence to
  their increased vulnerability to HIV.

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ICE BREAKER

• HOW DO THESE STATISTICS COMPARE WITH OTHER
  COUNTRIES PRESENT? (5 MIN DISCUSSION)

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ORIGINS OF CRCS IN ZAMBIA

• Different organizations have set up prevention
  and response services to SGBV as stand alone
  programs and these tend to be uncoordinated,
  unchecked, service is inconsistent and erratic.
• NGOs and related government agencies therefore
  realize the need for collaboration and
  standardization of the response to SGBV and have
  since 2006 been working with CARE Zambia.

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WHAT ARE CRCs?

• CRCs are a successful model for a coordinated
  response to SGBV, the first of their kind in
  Zambia created to ensure direct service delivery
  to SGBV survivors at one-stop sites at which
  survivors can find medical help (including the
  collection and preservation of criminal
  evidence), legal support (including reporting the
  crime to the police and legal advice where
  needed), psychological support (including
  counseling and linking to survivor support groups
  and, if needed, safe houses or shelters). They
  provide the following

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CRCs

• An integrated way of responding to SGBV through a
  network and array of services which involves
  specific actors as responders to SGBV
• A partnership of both government and NGOs
  combining their special skills and knowledge in
  order to collectively respond to SGBV.
• A model that brings together professional skills
  and knowledge from different sectors addressing
  targeted needs of a survivor.

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CRC PRINCIPLES

• Believe SGBV survivors
• Understand that the survivor is not responsible
  for the violence
• Recognize the survivor needs to make her own
  decisions about safety
• Provide resources
• Involve experts
• Address the effect of violence on the survivors
  ability to reintegrate into society
• Focus on safety

• Develop Case Plans with the experts
• Provide the survivor with options, not mandates
• Allow the client to take small steps, build on
  successes
• Respect the clients confidentiality
• Recognize the client may need support or linking
  through the court process, the shelter or other
  service providers

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STRUCTURE OF CRC

• CARE Zambia and its partners are operating two
  CRC models, one situated in a hospital setting
  and the other a stand alone, developed in the
  pilot phase.

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THE STAND ALONE MODEL (IDEAL)

COUNSELING ROOM Medical personnel
COUNSELING ROOM Psychosocial Counselor
COUNSELING ROOM Paralegal
COUNSELING ROOM Social Worker
COUNSELING ROOM VSU
RECEPTION
CENTRE COORDINATOR

• DATA STAFF

COMMUNITY
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STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THIS MODEL

• STRENGTHS
• The stand-alone model is less traumatic to
  survivors It is in a private setting.
• It is more flexible in terms of use of space It
  sometimes accommodates emergency transit for GBV
  survivors who do not require to be referred to a
  safe house.
• WEAKNESSES
• Medical staff are not available on a 24 hours
  basis, and in most cases clients need to be
  driven to a health facility
• Related to above, evidence may be lost in the
  process of trying to evacuate a survivor to a
  health facility.

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HOSPITAL MODEL (IDEAL)
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STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THIS MODEL

• STRENGTHS
• Guaranteed medical personnel 24 hours
• Efficient examination and treatment of GBV cases
  since the examination room is within the
  building, advantageous for prosecution of cases
• Easy access to PEP, EC and ARVs
• WEAKNESSES
• Maybe be shunned due to fear of stigmatization
  GBV cases at the hospital
• Restricted use of space, overcrowding, many other
  functions of the health facility.

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Which model is better?

• Comments on the two models (5 mins)

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CRC STAFF AND THEIR ROLES

• CRC Coordinator - manages all centre activities
  at the centre (Staff, cases, coordination and
  networking, data, welfare of clients, planning of
  activities e.g. Follow ups, advocacy)
• Receptionist First point of contact for
  survivors
• Data Entry Clerk Data capture and management
• Police Victim Support Unit Officers Arrest,
  investigate and prosecute, court preparation of
  clients.

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CRC STAFF AND THEIR ROLES

• Medical Personnel - Medical services,
  examinations and evidence collection
• Counselors Counseling, follow ups, referrals to
  other service providers, awareness campaigns
  (information education)
• Paralegal officers Free legal services to
  clients, preparation of clients for court and
  linking clients to legal institutions/firms
• Social workers links clients to service
  providers, offers access to social welfare
  services in the community Support staff.

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CRC ACTIVITIES PREVENTION

• Prevention actions include the provision of
  informational, educational and behavior-change
  communications materials and the formation of
  support networks to act as agents of change.
  These are
• Behavior change
• Awareness campaigns (information education)
• Promote discussion of gender and gender-based
  violence
• Identifying and addressing the causes and
  contributing factors

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CRC ACTIVITIES PREVENTION

• Attitude change support networks
• Form networks womens, mens, schools,
  religious, business, sports, leaders,
• Encourage changes in knowledge, attitudes, and
  practices (behavior)
• Include women, men, youth, and adolescents

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CRC ACTIVITIES - RESPONSE

• Response actions include provision of assistance,
• treatment, and care to the survivor to minimize
  the
• negative after-effects and consequences and to
  avoid
• further harm. These are
• Psycho-Social
• Emotional support
• Social acceptance
• Social reintegration, groups, skills, economic
  empowerment

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CRC ACTIVITIES - RESPONSE

• Health
• Active screenings
• Medical examination
• Medical treatment
• Forensic evidence recording
• Follow up

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CRC ACTIVITIES - RESPONSE

• Justice
• Rigorous prosecution with minimum delays
• Legal advice and support for survivor
• Reporting, monitoring cases, durable solutions
• Security/Safety
• Options for survivor safety
• Police - private interview space
• Proper application of laws, procedures
• Investigation and arrest of perpetrators

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CRC SUPPORT ACTIVITIES

• CRC Advisory Councils (at each CRC) to guide
  and influence change
• CRC Service Providers Network (at each CRC) to
  support the provision of service (referral)
• Provision of Shelter (Linked to each CRC)
• SGBV Survivor Groups (Linked to each CRC) which
  act as agents of change (women and men)
• Support Groups (Linked to each CRC) Men, Women,
  Youths, Children

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CRC ACTORS REQUIRE

• Sensitization to the emotional needs of survivors
• Training in sector-specific procedures, protocols
• Use of standardised reporting and referral
  mechanisms, including documentation and data
  review
• Protect confidentiality
• Respect survivor wishes
• Coordination

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CRC DATA MANAGEMENT

• Investment of time and resources for proper data
  collection, analysis, and
• monitoring and evaluation is necessary and
  therefore the CRCs should compile
• and review data and analyze it to determine
  trends and issues that need
• further probing through qualitative methods. For
  this purpose
• Standard Incident Report Forms are used.
• Common and consistent definitions for the various
  types of GBV occurring in the setting are
  developed
• Tracking and compilation forms (computerized or
  handwritten) are used to compile details for
  incidents, follow-up, and case outcomes.

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GBV DATABASE
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CRC CHALLENGES

• CRCs not yet institutionalized therefore only a
  fraction of cases are covered
• Reliance on volunteers, challenge of keeping them
  motivated and committed
• Settlement of cases by cash e.g. survivors are
  usually enticed with cash to drop charges.
• Frequent withdrawal of cases e.g. due to fear of
  losing a bread winner, isolation or becoming
  unpopular.

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CRC CHALLENGES

• Under-reporting - Only a small fraction of cases
  are reported (A tip of the Ice berg)
• Deep rooted cultural practices e.g. sexual
  cleansing, witch doctors prescribing sex with a
  minor for various things
• Limited information on existence of CRC services
  is in some cases not available (lack of
  awareness)
• Delay in reporting Cases e.g. may result in loss
  of vital evidence, crime scene tempered with.

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LESSONS LEARNT

• Provision of different services under one roof
  brings confidence to clients/system and reduces
  costs for clients
• Reduces duplication of efforts
• Enhances referral system
• Cost effective use of resources
• Pools vital resources and skills together
  financial, human material.
• Minimizes gaps and challenges in service delivery.

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LESSONS LEARNT

• Minimizes movement of survivors from one service
  provider to another.
• Gives an opportunity to survivors to access
  multiple services within shortest possible time
• Short term - deals with crisis management of
  survivors- crisis counseling, arrest of
  perpetrator.
• Medium term scaling up prevention and response
  to GBV survivors enhances and strengthens the
  referral system, centers offer a platform for
  referral with other service providers in the
  districts.
• Long Term - decentralizes prevention activities
  to community structures.

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Thank you for listening!!!