UNICEF, UNFPA and Medica Start New Anti-Violence Against Women Project

NGO.ba

09 March 2007

The establishment of referral assistance instruments and adequate treatment for the victims of gender-based violence and child-abuse are the planned results of a new project started jointly by UNFPA, UNICEF and Medica NGO.

After the completion of the research and assessment of the existing referral system, the project shall contribute to creation of adequate instruments for identification, evidence, treatment and advise for victims of violence. The model will be implemented and evaluated, over the course of this year, in a number of municipalities.

UNICEF and Medica cooperate in the area of prevention of violence since 2001. With financial support of the Norwegian Government, they have ran Medica�s safe-house for women victims of violence, in the period 2004-2006.

Over the past five years, UNICEF supported training of experts in the areas of social work, law enforcement, healthcare, judiciary, media and NGOs, which covered 750 experts from 63 municipalities. In 2006, UNICEF supported the preparation and submission of National Report on Violence, under the auspices of the preparation of UN Global Study on Violence.

UNFPA cooperates with a number of women Ngos on the realization of women�s right to life free of violence. Its efforts are directed to elimination of all forms of violence against women, especially sexual, gender-based violence, and observance of women�s reproductive rights.

UNFPA and Medica cooperated to present B&H in the International Symposia on Sexual, Gender-Based Violence in Times of Conflict, held in Brussels in 2006. On this occasion, both organizations pledged to cooperate in the work to secure improved status of women in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to achievement of Brussels� appeal to �zero tolerance� for violence.

The whole article is available at www.ngo.ba (in Bosnian).