Violence against women: The role of the health sector

This article begins by noting that, in the early 1990s, development practitioners worldwide thought it was enough simply to draw public attention to the issue of violence against women (VAW). Now, the authors suggest, women's groups in countries of the Asia-Pacific region are urging acknowledgement that VAW is a public health issue - and demanding action along those lines. Here is an excerpt from the piece:

"Health care providers are found to play an important role in the response since victims usually go to health-care facilities for help. Advocacy to sensitize health care professionals in responding to violence by providing care and support has become a new focus area in these countries. Linkages between NGOs and public hospitals have been an important move in creating an appropriate response.

A crisis centre within a hospital has the advantage of being accessible to a large number of women....

Training and sensitization of health care workers has been an important component of these endeavors. While health care professionals are found to provide sympathy, very few provide safety plans and information about resources available to help women in this situation. The advantage of a partnership between an NGO and a hospital is while client counselling is managed by the NGO staff, medical diagnosis and intervention is provided by the medical staff. Ultimately, collaborations and the pooling of resources are essential in the management of violence against women."

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