Governments can work with NGOs and key stakeholders to support development of national standards for professional groups delivering services to victims/survivors and perpetrators of violence against women. These may include core standards or principles for all relevant services and specific standards that are relevant to individual sectors.
Example: National Service Standards for Domestic and Sexual Violence (England and Wales)
|
In England and Wales, the Home Office commissioned the national domestic violence charity, Women’s Aid Federation of England, to develop in consultation with stakeholders national standards for all services responding to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. They include standards that should underpin all service providers, as well as specific standards for a range of specialist forms of provision (including refuges/shelters, outreach, women’s services linked to perpetrator programmes, helplines and children and young people’s services). One of the core standards is that services should operate within a context of inter-agency co-operation, collaboration and coordinated service delivery to ensure that a culture of intolerance about domestic and sexual violence is developed across agencies and communities and among individuals.
|
|
Example: National Guidelines for the Multi-Disciplinary Management of Survivors of Gender-Based Violence (Zambia) In Zambia, the Ministries of Women and Gender Affairs, Health, Home Affairs, Community Development and Social Services worked with NGOs and other stakeholders to produce national guidelines for responding to survivors of gender-based violence (PDF to upload). The guidelines consist of a multi-disciplinary set of strategies for responding to the medical, legal, and psychosocial support needs of survivors. Individual chapters outline a set of standards and procedures for the health care, police and psychosocial support sectors. The aim is that the guidelines will serve as a reference material for all professionals who come in contact with survivors to ensure uniform procedures across the country. Service providers are expected to adhere to the guidelines established for their profession, and familiarise themselves with the other sectors’ roles and responsibilities in order to ensure that survivors receive all the services they require. |