Protection and Response of GBV

The issue:

Gender-based violence is a violation of human rights. It infringes the victims’ autonomy as well as dignity. Any harm or suffering that is perpetrated against an individual, has a negative impact on the physical, sexual or psychological health of the person, and furthermore development and identity. The cause of the violence is founded in gender-based power inequalities and gender-based discrimination.

Gender-based violence occurs in various places such as; homes, schools, workplaces, parks and other public areas. GBV can occur randomly but it is often reported that in cases, the perpetrator knows the victim. GBV occurs repeatedly and systematically, and is often hidden in a culture silence.

Poverty and socio-economic insecurity are contributing factors to GBV, but also early marriages, which often result in domestic and sexual violence. Women in Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence and forced marriages. Due to lack of access to justice, the issue is often dealt with the victim’s clan and the rapists, this consequently allows women without family or clan connections to become more vulnerable to GBV. Therefore, SWDC aims at providing aid to indigent groups.

The threat of gender-based violence (GBV) is reinforced by the conflict, drought and poverty in Somalia. The prevalence of GBV is exacerbated when the emergency is affecting ?. The humanitarian situation in Somalia continues to expose communities and internally displaced persons, to serious protection risks – with limited access to reproductive health, GBV prevention and response services. SWDC is working intensively to fight GBV in Somalia.

SWDC’s Protection and Response of GBV:

In order to prevent GBV and to protect and bring justice to survivors, SWDC has implemented series of strategies that includes: Preventing violence, strengthening legal and policy frameworks, and improving response services for survivors. Supporting different programs and projects aligned with cooperation partners’ priorities on ending GBV is a priority in SWDC’s development cooperation.

GBV prevention strategies are associated with efforts to increase gender equality more generally.

Some of SWDC’s prevention strategies are:

Efforts to increase women’s economic independence.
Efforts to increase women’s political participation and influence in Somalia.
Increase awareness and enhance systems for the prevention of GBV.
Increase access to a comprehensive and well-coordinated GBV response services including livelihood support for survivors.

SWDC

Somali Women Development Centre is a non-governmental and non-profit organization established in 2000. SWDC believes that women can become empowered through the support of our community, and that they can make positive changes in not only in their own lives but also for the betterment of their communities. SWDC is working hard towards improving the condition of women and other vulnerable groups.

Somali Women’s Development Centre strives to lessen the number of women subjected to violence by empowering them through access to knowledge and greater social and economic independence.

It strengthens women socially by improving their standard of living and thereby fortifying the family. SWDC programs focus on women at the grassroots level, in areas of intervention, prevention and advocacy together with networking of women’s groups for community development and peace.