16,000+ Survivors of Gender-Based Violence Finally Receiving Services in Rural Tanzania

March 20, 2018In Tanzania, more than 16,000 people who have experienced violence —mostly women and children—have now received clinical services and any referrals they need for legal and social services, thanks to a collaboration amongIntraHealth International, PSI, and Restless Development. This effort is part of the Department for International Development (DFID)-funded Family Planning Outreach Programme, which provides much-needed sexual and reproductive health services to rural women.Gender-based violence isprolific in Tanzania—40% of women ages 15-49 experience physical violence at some point, and almost 20% experience sexual violence in their lifetime. Sexual and physical abuse is even higher among married women (44%). Violence against children is alsoprevalent—nearly 75% of girls and boys experience physical violence by the age of 18, and 30% of girls experience sexual violence before adulthood.  Gender-based violence is prolific in Tanzania —40% of women ages 15-49 experience physical violence at some point.Accessing essential services can bedifficult for survivors. They often face ineffective police involvement, failure of the legal system to convict perpetrators, a shortage of safe houses for survivors, a limited number of health workers and social welfare officers trained to screen and provide specialized services, and poor coordination among multisector partners as well as among service providers and referral systems.As a result, survivors in Tanzaniafre...

Source: IntraHealth International - March 20, 2018 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: intrahealth Source Type: news