Support Services for Survivors of Violence Against Women and Girls

Each incident of violence against women and girls (VAWG) can have a significant impact on a survivor’s safety, health and quality of life. Survivors of VAWG can suffer significant health consequences, including pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, physical trauma and even death. VAWG survivors also experience a range of psychological and social consequences, including shame, guilt, depression, isolation, abandonment and abuse by family members.

All VAWG survivors need care and support. However, high-quality and compassionate services often are not available in emergency settings, and survivors face multiple barriers to receiving support, including a fear of perpetrators, social stigma and laws and policies that provide inadequate recourse.

Our Response

International Medical Corps is one of the few humanitarian organisations that delivers specialised support services for survivors of VAWG in emergency settings. Through survivor-centred VAWG case management and psychosocial support services, trained caseworkers offer individualised, ongoing assistance to help survivors recover from traumatic incidents and receive help based on their needs and choices.

VAWG caseworkers listen to survivors, validate their experiences and provide compassionate care. They help survivors access healthcare, justice and other services. They work with survivors of intimate-partner violence to develop safety plans, and establish support systems and meet personal goals. We integrate VAWG case management services into safe spaces and trusted community structures that women and girls can visit without suspicion.

In many settings, we also offer VAWG case management services through health centres, where survivors can access both medical and psychosocial support. In locations where women and girls may have trouble accessing static services due to conflict or displacement, we establish mobile teams of caseworkers who can reach women and girls through regular visits to remote communities. During times when face-to-face services are not possible—such as during the COVID-19 pandemic—we provide assistance via telephone or internet.

Examples of how we deliver focused support services including the following:

SOUTH SUDAN, supporting remote, conflict-affected communities.
Since civil war erupted in 2013, millions of South Sudanese have been forced to flee their homes. As the conflict has continued, untold numbers of women and girls have been targeted for abduction and rape. In an environment of rampant lawlessness and insecurity, women and girls face additional risks of inter-and intra-communal violence, as well as family and domestic violence. To address survivor needs across an expanse of hard-to-reach areas of the country, we have established safe spaces where women and girls can access help. We train community-based VAWG taskforces to provide psychological first aid and safe referrals for survivors. Through safe spaces, we support livelihoods activities to reduce women’s economic vulnerability, helping them organise into village savings and loans associations. We also train doctors and nurses to care for survivors of rape and domestic violence, and have worked with the government to integrate care for VAWG survivors into the standard training curriculum for midwives.

NIGERIA, supporting local initiatives to increase opportunities for women and girls.
The protracted crisis in northeast Nigeria, which has involved forced displacement, abductions and trafficking, has exacerbated pre-existing gender challenges. The ideology of armed opposition groups and the country’s general insecurity threaten women’s and girls’ access to essential services, including school and healthcare. We have established partnerships with women-led organisations and associations, helping to reach women and girls through discreet networks. We have established safe spaces near markets within communities and camps of displaced people, where women and girls can find refuge from their regular routines and participate in educational and social activities. On select days, these spaces are reserved for adolescent girls, who gather for life-skills classes and other activities. We also provide individualised VAWG case management services for survivors of VAWG, through safe spaces and remotely by phone where needed.