Attachment_E_-_GHESKIO_Gender-Based_Violence_Project.pdf

Attachment E – GHESKIO Gender‐Based Violence Project

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Support for and Empowerment of Vulnerable women in a high risk

B1. INTRODUCTION

Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Haiti has been a chronic problem in Haiti for a number of years. Sexual assault has dramatically increased during the last 25 years and has been largely associated with increased political instability in Haiti. All forms of violence have escalated in Haiti, with women and young girls increasingly becoming the targets of sexual assault, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. Rape, in particular, gang rape, has become a means of social control and has been denounced as a growing practice.

USAID/Haiti has decided, through a collaborative agreement to allow to ―Les Centres Gheskio‖ to continue to help decreasing the mass unemployment, he high risks of abuse and exploitation for women and girls and the Gender Based Violence (GBV). GHESKIO, a Haitian NGO with unique expertise and experience in GBV, a long had more than 30 years of experience working with the refugees, people in the IDP camps, women living with apparent lack of security will implement the goals and objectives outlined by USAID/Haiti that will Increase capacity of vulnerable women (CSW and rape victims) in a high risk environment and evaluate the HIV Behavioral Risk Profiles addressing male norms and behavior.

B2. BACKGROUNG

More recently, the devastating earthquake that struck on January 12, 2010 has potentially added to the number of potential victims of sexual violence, while at the same time further damaging the ability of an already weak infrastructure to respond. After the earthquake of 2010, GHESKIO has received a $50,000.00 grant from USAID to provide support and care to sexually assaulted victims identified in refugee camps in the Port-au-Prince Metropolitan area (Grant No.: 521-G-00-10-00013-00). And responding to a request for proposal issued by OGAC in May 2010 for access to the ―PEPFAR Gender Challenge Fund‖, GHESKIO sent an application that was accepted on August 2nd by the condition set by OGAC is that a minimum investment of $300,000 would have to be done by the country as a matching fund.

This project will be in benefit of a greater number of female survivors of sexual violence and commercial sex workers (CSW). They will have access to integrated treatment services, including HIV testing, family planning, HIV/STD treatment and psychological and social support, not only in the metropolitan area but also in two other main cities of Haiti (Cap Haitien and Les Cayes). The project will link these women to income generating activities, vocational schools and provide educational services on human rights. These services will serve to reduce women‘s reliance on risky sex for economic survival. This project also aims to use data gathered as part of the research to develop culturally – specific interventions for high risk women and to address male norms and risky behaviors.

This program will be facilitating the GBV survivor‘s immediate access to a range of appropriate services and community-based support, which includes access to medical care and referral services, physiological care and support, and economic opportunities, are critical to meeting the needs of GBV survivors.

Countering GBV is a top priority for U.S. assistance to Haiti, and a challenge that will require immediate action to meet the needs of survivors as well as sustained engagement over the long-term to reduce vulnerability through empowerment of women and girls. USAID is issuing a Request For Application to meet the following program objectives:

Provide a comprehensive package of care integrating HIV, Tuberculosis and other sexually transmitted diseases in testing and counseling to high risk women.

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The applicant will establish a close link to a network of other NGOs or Women‘s Associations groups related to activities in the camps so quick referral can be made from the camps to clinical site/sites.

Sexually assaulted victims need to have timely access to screening, testing and followed up for care and treatment in case they become positive. Adequate conditions for health-related protection activities include: private areas for exam and interview, supplies for STI and HIV testing, supplies for HIV postexposure prophylaxis, rape kits and supplies for collecting forensic evidence, and emergency contraception. Family planning should also be promoted since this is an entry door for implementing this intervention. Testing for HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) including syphilis and gonorrhea should be available at all times with adequate supply as well as the capacity to treat all those related diseases.

These may be provided in the healthcare facility itself or through a referral system. Trained staff should be able to identify signs of GBV and child protection concerns during medical checks and be able to refer these patients for additional legal, social and psychological services. This capability should be demonstrated in the Port au Prince area but the applicant will ensure to strengthen the Justinien Hospital in the Cap Haitien and the Immaculée Conception Hospital in Les Cayes so that they can deliver the same services in that purpose.

Provide psychological support and link to income generating activities.

The vulnerability of the high risk women is commonly associated with poverty and inability to address their own needs. The applicant will provide support with trained social workers and psychologist to help the victims cope with their experiences, while increasing their self-esteem and awareness of legal and protection rights. Income generating activities will be provided, with the aim of reducing reliance on risky sex for economic survival. Recent reports from UNHCR have shown the vulnerability of women engaging in transactional sex for survival in the camps (1). The applicant will make every effort to link those victims to income generating activities through vocational training, cash for work, microcredit or other identified means with local or international organizations working in this field. Linkages will be made with the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) program of PEPFAR, as well as with current USG funded organizations such as Fonkoze, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), or other international agencies (UNICEF or Global Funds) as appropriate. Private sector involvement is also desirable as more sensitization of this sector will lead to more involvement of the Haitian society as a whole and contribute to the sustainability of programs.

Strengthened awareness and support from civil society and government (MOH and Ministry of Women’s Affairs).

Through established networks (Gender Based Violence Cluster) will help self-referral and increase the networking. It is critical to make sure that all networks involved in the camps are aware of services delivered by the applicant, so that proper and on time referral can be made. The applicant will work with the Ministry of Women‘s Affairs and NGOs to increase knowledge about prevention and how to deal with cases of abused victims. Linkages will be made with the Child Protection Cluster and other international organizations such as UNICEF, to provide a more integrated approach so that adolescent related issues, rights of the child and legal issues are also addressed.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:

The key objectives of this project are to increase the number of female survivors of sexual violence and commercial sex workers (CSW) who have access to integrated treatment services including HIV testing, family planning, HIV/STD (Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Sexually Transmitted Diseases) treatment and other services. In addition, this project will link these women to income-producing projects, vocational schools and provide educational services on human rights – these services will serve to reduce women‘s reliance on risky sex for economic survival. This project also aims to utilize data gathered as Page 10 of 47 CA No: AID-521-A-12-00003 part of the research to develop culturally-specific interventions for high-risk women and to address male norms and risky behaviors.

Integration and leveraging:

This project will be integrated in the context of the PEPFAR (Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) program as a gender based intervention and will further strengthen the USAID funded Gender Based Violence project in the settlements.

ACTIVITIES DESCRIPTION

Brief description of activities: This project falls under several areas of the PEPFAR gender strategy, including: Increasing gender equity, addressing male norms, increasing women‘s access to education and income, increasing women‘s rights and protections.

Activities will include:

Description of socio-demographic characteristics and HIV behavioral risk profiles of women and girls seen at GHESKIO and in GHESKIO camps.

Description of socio-demographic characteristics of the aggressors, male partners of those reporting violence and coercion.

Evaluation of psychosexual histories of the women and the impact of poverty and violence on the trajectories of those reporting sexual activities for goods, or money (CSW): commercial sex workers.

Identification of potential barriers and facilitators of the empowerment of these highly vulnerable women.

Improvement of women‘s access to Reproductive Health (RH) services, vocational school, education, income and productive resources.

Project Location:

This capability should be demonstrated in the Port au Prince area but the applicant will ensure to strengthen the Justinien Hospital in the Cap Haitien and the Immaculée Conception Hospital in Les Cayes so that they can deliver the same services in that purpose.

Approach:

Strengthen psychological/social worker units at GHESKIO (INLR and IMIS) (Institute des Maladies Infectieuses) and the network by training of social workers and other identified personnel in the network.

Survey 400 women and girls to evaluate socio-demographic characteristics and HIV risk behaviors in GHESKIO camps and those attending the GHESKIO clinics. For this purpose we will culturally adapt and translate questionnaires used in previous interventions.

Conduct in-depth semi-structured interviews with two representative samples of women to evaluate: a) their psychosexual histories and b) the impact of poverty and violence on their trajectories into their high risk behavior.

ANTICIPATED RESULTS:

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Provide a comprehensive view of the highly vulnerable women and identify the factors that might affect their empowerment and development.

Increase the number of high risk women and girls coming for VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) and integrated services, including RH (Reproductive Health) to decrease HIV transmission, unwanted pregnancy.

Increase number of women, victims of violence and or coercion accessing services and willing to adopt measures to increase their legal rights and protection.

Increase capacity of a pool of women by providing them tools for their empowerment and economic development; some of these women will be trained as trainers or peer educators.

Provide valuable information that will further guide intervention development designed to empower this population as well as reduce HIV risk behaviors and other deleterious health consequences.

Provide valuable information that will further guide intervention development designed to address male norms and risky behaviors.

Summarize and disseminate quantitative survey results.

Strengthen psychological /social worker units at GHESKIO (Groupe Haitien d‘ Etudes sur le Sarcome de Kaposi et Infections Opportunistes) (INLR and IMIS) and the network by training of social workers and other identified personnel in the network.

Write-up and disseminate results from the qualitative data gathered through in-depth interviews.