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Survivors of VAWG are at particular risk of re-traumatisation which can be triggered by insensitive service delivery. Police forces should put the safety and comfort of survivors at the forefront of service delivery, ensure survivors know they are believed, avoid intrusive questioning, respect confidentiality, ensure survivors have access to support at all stages, and allow survivors to engage at their own pace. In most cases, women and girl survivors prefer to be supported by a female police officer and thus focusing on the recruitment, training and support of female officers is critical. Inv…

Once operational procedures have been established, police forces should ensure that all police officers are trained to have a thorough understanding of what these are and the importance of following them as well as establishing accountability procedures to monitor their implementation. Police force leadership and management should provide strong and consistent messaging around the seriousness of crimes of VAWG, along with who is responsible and accountable for effective VAWG investigations, criminal prosecution, and survivor safety. 

The first step is for the police to develop operational protocols (e.g. standard operating procedures) for the police response to various forms of violence against women girls (VAWG) in line with existing legislation and drawing on examples of effective practice. This should set out the responsibilities of different police units including women and child protection units, criminal investigations division and so on. They should also set up standards for how to treat survivors and how to record and track cases.

Police forces should conduct intersectional gender analysis to inform the design and implementation of operational processes for responding to crimes of VAWG. This analysis should focus on understanding and addressing the barriers women face to reporting instances of VAWG. It should also acknowledge that women from different backgrounds may face different barriers to reporting. Police forces should work with diverse women’s rights organisations to conduct this intersectional gender analysis in order to gather the views and experiences of women from diverse backgrounds and build relationships…

In situations where static, traditional GBV services are unable to reach many people due to factors like displacement, natural disasters and other emergencies like Covid-19, or remote locations, alternative options have emerged. Remote services involve staff using technology to provide GBV services from a distance, while mobile services provide services directly to people who are displaced, in transit or who cannot easily access traditional (static) services. These models can be designed according to the Leave No One Behind principle to meet the needs of GBV survivors from vulnerable…

All survivors of violence have a right to care and support, however, not all survivors experience violence in the same way, and some groups have multiple and intersecting vulnerabilities that can impact their health. It is important that these groups do not get overlooked in service delivery. Health services should consider what survivors need, the barriers they might face, and how to provide them with specialised services. Some examples of vulnerable groups that could need specific care include:

Pregnant women survivors: Women and adolescent girls who experience sexual violence while…

Asking survivors about violence needs to be linked to an effective response, which would include a first-line supportive response, appropriate medical treatment and care as needed, and referral(s) to other services. A service mapping identifying health, psychosocial, protection, legal, shelter/safe accommodation, livelihoods and other services is therefore integral for providing effective GBV support. Read more information on strengthening referral mechanisms.

Healthcare providers need to be aware of the laws and obligations on reporting sexual violence and intimate partner violence to the police or authorities. Although mandatory reporting is often intended to protect survivors (particularly children), in some cases it may conflict with the GBV Guiding Principles (see the Inter-Agency Minimum Standards for GBViE Programming, 2019). Furthermore, in the case of adults, mandatory reporting impinges on their autonomy and ability to make their own decisions. It also raises safety concerns as women may experience retaliation, fear losing custody of their…

Many survivors will not disclose violence to a healthcare provider (or any other provider) due to fear of repercussions, social stigma, rejection from partners/families and other reasons. If healthcare providers are not well trained, they may not be able to detect the indicators of violence. Survivors may be inadvertently discouraged from asking for help for VAWG-related health problems. This can occur if the provider does not ask the right questions; if communication materials in the facility do not make clear the types of services that are available, and that they are available for all; or…

Safety in and around health facilities is vital. This can include having good lighting, female guards, and separate, lockable latrines and washing facilities. Community health workers can also support survivors to get to and from facilities. If written information on GBV is shared on site (i.e. posters, pamphlets or leaflets), these should be in private areas like washrooms which should feature appropriate warnings to survivors about taking resources home if an abusive partner is there. 

Wherever possible, services for survivors should also be integrated into existing healthcare centres in…