RaTas: Network Against Gender Based Violence in The Gambia

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

The “Desk Review on GBV in The Gambia” report revealed that the health system does not have formal protocols or procedures for caring for survivors of gender-based violence. It is not clear how far health providers are trained on the proper procedures for responding to GBV, ranging from the provision of privacy and confidentiality to the collection of forensic evidence, the conducting of safety plans, and the referral of survivors to other services such as legal aid or counseling. Interviews with few nurses during the desk review indicated that when a woman goes to a hospital or health center for GBV-related injuries, health providers do little more than treat the physical effects of violence, usually only in the most extreme cases when survivors do attend health centers. (Continuation/support for UHA2011-006930)