Africa Resources Think Tank (ArTt)
GENDER BASED VIOLENCE & COVID-19 PROJECT
Location: Kenya (Kilifi, Mombasa, Kwale)
Ensuring continuity of essential health services for GBV survivors in Coastal Region, Kenya during the COVID-19 Crisis Program.
In many contexts, women, men, girls, and boys have different needs and face different social, economic, and cultural barriers that can affect their ability to access and benefit from the essential services and programs equitably during emergency situations like the COVID-19 Pandemic. Access to GBV and domestic violence support services has been a challenge for many adolescents and women, especially those who come from rural and low-income families for many years.
Therefore, our project is envisaged to enable continuity of essential health services for GBV and domestic violence survivors during the COVID-19 crisis through the support of our Community Health Volunteers, youth volunteers and registered pharmacists to offer stigma-free counselling, support quality improvement of services, making safe and reduced home stress, a gateway for improved sexual health (incl. youth friendly service support for essential commodity supplies, documentation of violence cases / reporting, and onward referrals) regardless of their location and financial ability within three counties of the Kenyan Coast Region (Kilifi, Kwale and Mombasa).
Health systems are and will be overstretched further as COVID-19 cases continue to increase. However, with support projects like this, they can still play an important role in ensuring services for survivors remain safe and accessible during the COVID-19 outbreak. Africa Resources Think Tank (ArTt) intends to;
Support health facilities to update the referral pathways of services available locally, to include information on psychosocial support and counseling services, protection services, hotlines, shelters;
Ensure health providers are aware of the risks for increased Violence Against Women (VAW)/girls during this time, so that when survivors reach out to the health facilities (whether positive to COVID-19 or not) they can receive appropriate and compassionate health care, following regular COVID-19 protocols to reduce the risk of infection. They can help women who disclose by offering first-line support and relevant medical treatment;
Include services for women subjected to violence and their children in their COVID-19 response plans, including within the health sector, and collect data.
Ensure community outreach and communication includes information on the risk of increased domestic violence, risk of sexual exploitation against children, child marriage and supply of most essential commodity services are available.
Stigmatization associated to COVID-19 recovered patients now and post COVID-19 pandemic
The ArTt project’s overall goal is to “To ensure continuity and safety from risks of infection of essential services, including health (immunization, HIV and tuberculosis care, reproductive health, psychosocial and mental health, gender-based violence se vices), for the population groups most exposed and vulnerable to the pandemic” (SP 2 HRP COVID-19) in low resource settings and improve protection of adolescents and youth including health seeking behaviors to transform service delivery by creating linkages from the household level, to pharmacists/drug vendors and the network of healthcare providers to ensure the seamless service provision and referrals.
Support
Total Activity Budget: EUR 45,040
Total Amount Being Requested: EUR. 45,040
Other needs: Space for online meetings
See more: www.africaresources.net
For more information contact covid19@unmgcy.org