Baucau, November 22, 2024 (Média Democracia) – The Ministry of Health (MS) together with UNFPA handed over a safe house for victims of gender-based violence at the Eduardo Ximenes Regional Hospital, Horex, Baucau, on Thursday.
According to the Deputy Minister of Operations, Flávio Brandão Mendes de Araújo said that gender-based violence is very strong, it is necessary to provide an existence for victims how to be responsible for the hospital, therefore safe houses can play a role in identifying victims who experience gender-based violence.
“Safe houses with their role to identify victims who experience violence and how to prevent, handle and communicate with victims, this is a system built with standards to provide answers to problems, especially violence, such as physical, psychological violence for both men and women who experience problems. This safe house is to further strengthen us on how health workers can provide specific answers to the types of violence that exist.” He said.
He further explained that the future plan is to add more resources, because in general nurses and medical personnel must see their involvement, because there are also strategic partners who are in line with the government’s program that invests in the health sector.
According to UNFPA representative, Domingas Bernardo said, the safe house as a space built close to the health faculty is equipped with equipment and human resources for health workers in the field of forensic examination to see gender-based violence.
“The UNFPA representative said that safe places and health workers will be used to provide services for cases of gender-based violence or domestic violence such as sexual harassment, because these cases occur in victims who come to seek treatment at health facilities, we must create a calm and safe place for them, so that victims feel safe when seeking treatment, in addition, this safe place itself, we will provide services for courts resulting from domestic violence and sexual violence to conduct examinations to provide counseling and support confidentially.” Domingas Bernado said
She explained that the launch of Safe Place in Horex Baucau is a history for our collective work, besides that it is also an important history of UNFPA’s strong commitment and determination to eliminate gender-based violence, because we are fighting to create a safe space for women and girls to support good health facilities that can prevent and address gender-based violence well and effectively.
“Gender-based violence as a public health issue because VBJ continues to be a common violence for human rights issues in Timor-Leste, because violence against women and girls is still high. Based on health demographic research in Timor-Leste in 2016 showed that 33% of women aged 15-49 years have experienced physical violence, when they were 15 years old especially in Baucau there are 21% of women aged 15-49 years have experienced physical violence, when they were 15 years old because of this case itself, this problem is very serious so from our collaboration to ensure Baucau residents become a role and space for women and girls to be free from violence.” Said the representative, UNFPA, Domingas
She added that UNFPA collaborates with the Ministry of Health and the National Public Health Institute of Timor-Leste through the provision of technical support to strengthen the capacity of the health system, so as to ensure that survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) receive psychological, medical and legal support in a coordinated and effective manner based on international and national guidelines.
Reported by : Tomas
Picture by : Tomas