Project Description

Funded by: UNHCR

Timeline: January 2016 –December 2016

This project seeks to reduce the risk of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) while impact will be measured by the extent that persons of concern have information about SGBV risks, prevention and response within their communities including access to specialized services for persons at risk of SGBV-affected ad at risk women and girls in Koya district in Erbil Governorate will be targeted during the 12 months project duration. Women’s Rehabilitation Organization (WRO) will continue providing a women’s safe space which will offer psycho-social support, livelihood training and GBV awareness reaching 1,120 vulnerable Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), refugee and host community women, with particular emphasis on IDP SGBV survivor and those who are at risk of exploitation or abuse, as well as impacting at least 2,500 community members through awareness raising campaigns. The center will also refer beneficiaries to other community and NGO services. The project will work in cooperation with community volunteers to conduct safety audits and raise awareness on SGBV prevention and response through conducting joint awareness-raising campaign.

Sample Project Outcomes/Achievements:

  • Mobile teams reached 2009 families (1484 women, 525 girls) who introduced WRO services available at the centre, through verbal and flyer dissemination, whilst conducting basic needs assessments.
  • Throughout the duration of the project 480 beneficiaries (212 women, 268 girls) were trained and successfully completed Vocational Skills Training. The courses provided were sewing and English classes, one month in duration. Each participant received a final certificate and a tool kit to enable them to practice and potentially start a small business in their private lives.
  • WRO referred 488 people at risk (122 women, 128 girls, 146 men & 92 boys) to our legal partner Qandil in order to support them with legal assistance.
  • During the project implementation 845 individuals (439 women, 88 girls, 286 men & 32 boys) benefitted from psychsocial support services provided by social workers from WRO. Cases ranged from physical and psychological issues such as SGBV, GBV including; harassment, denial of resources, emotional and physical abuse, spousal abuse/intimate partner violence (IPV) early/forced marriage, and mild to significant depression and anxiety due to stress from protracted displacement and the result of the extreme lack of basic needs, food and employment.
  • 491 beneficiaries (283 women, 188 girls, 11 men & 9 boys) participated in SGBV/GBV awareness sessions which focused on topics such as early and forced marriage, harassment, domestic violence, sexual assault and their psychological effects, and the legal rights of women and girls and pathways to justice.
  • 60 community members (36 women, 3 girls & 21 men) were trained on basic standards for community based protection, GBV, SGBV prevention and response, referral pathways and safety audits. Each training lasted the duration of 5 days, 2 hours per day.
  • 9 safety audits were conducted during the project implementation. 9 key areas around Koya district were monitored and all possible protection and GBV risks analysed by the Safety Audit Team.