Provision of protection services to women and children in Rafah – Southern Gaza Strip - OPT The project responds to the humanitarian needs of women amp children in Rafah, Southern Gaza Strip through Al-Awda Community Centre which is affiliated to AWDA in partnership with Wefaq Society for Woman amp Child Care. Through this partnership the eastern amp western areas of Rafah governorate will be covered, where protection amp PSS services will be provided to the following groups:

(i) Women (aged 18-59 amp gt59 years) and girls (aged 14-17), including PWDs who are survivors or at risk of GBV, they will receive multisectoral GBV services including: collective amp individual psychosocial support, legal advice, case management amp referral including (Mental Health, legal representation, cash assistance, health services) in addition to home visits, hotline, distributing dignity kits amp upgrading small projects upon the analysis of the cases’ needs (cash, equipment, material).

(ii) Children (aged 6-17 of both sexes including PWDs) who have been affected by conflict related violence, violations amp violence in households, they will receive structured, collective amp individual PSS support adding to case management amp referral services including (Mental Health amp responding to basic needs of some children, such as clothing, shoes, medicine, etc.), this in addition to conducting PSS sessions for children’s caregivers.

To facilitate the access of the targeted group to the project services, the project activities amp locations will be announced to the community through radio spot amp Facebook adv.

The project will also raise the sensitivity of members from the community (women, men, girls amp boys including PWDs) about women amp child protection issues as well as PSEA through awareness sessions, knowing that sign language will be provided in some sessions. This, in addition to distributing leaflets with awareness messages about PSEA. 

A fact sheet on the reality of women protection will be prepared amp published on the AWDA amp Wefaq Facebook pages amp a copy of it will be sent to the protection cluster to be circulated to its members amp invested in advocacy campaigns or planning future interventions.

In order to harmonize the project activities in accordance with a common professional methodology, the capacity of the project staff in both institutions (AWDA amp Wefaq) will be built in the area of children PSS support manuals, PSEA, GBV, feedback amp complaints mechanism adding to integration of PWDs. 

Moreover, professional supervision will be provided to the project staff to ensure the quality of the services provided. From the other side, self-care days will be organized for the staff in order to alleviate their psychological burden.

It is worth to mentioned that the project staff will be informed about the working policies amp protocols of both partners related to PSEA, child protection amp code of conduct, furthermore, they will sign work contracts that include a clause about PSEA.

As part of building the capacity of CBOs in Rafah, a training course will be organized for 10 CBOs on complaints, feedback amp response mechanisms. 

To ensure that the principle of Accountability to Affected Persons (AAPs) is achieved, the targeted group will be involved in all the project cycle phases. Additionally, quarterly meetings will be held with the local committee to disseminate the project information amp taking feedback from them on community satisfaction with the project activities. 

In accordance with the complaints, feedback amp response mechanisms of the AWDA amp WEFAQ, beneficiaries will be informed of the system in place.

In order to achieve the desired positive impact of the project, the human rights-based approach will be worked out while ensuring that the principles of dignity, neutrality amp non-discrimination are upheld in terms of color, race, religion, political affiliation or sex.

Coordination was undertaken with the Protection Cluster Coordinator amp the Ministry of Social Development, who expressed their support for the project idea.