Ensuring safety and well being of women and girls in refugee camps in Gambella The overall objective of International Medical Corps’ GBV services is to maintain essential prevention and response services during a four month gap in funding and To deliver targeted activities to further engage and support adolescent girls in Kule, Tierkidi, Jewi, Nguyiel refugee camps and Pagak transition center. It also aims to empower camp communities to participate in GBV prevention and response, to improve quality of GBV services and promote community’s access to the services, and to strengthen coordination and inter-agency work on GBV in the camps, including building local capacity. 

From funding from other sources, International Medical Corps implements a survivor-centered approach, whereby caseworkers make themselves available for survivors who self-report and seek support. Community members have access to information of the different available services through house to house outreach mechanism and are encouraged to seek for services.  Moreover, information is provided in the Women and Girls Friendly Spaces about available services and the use of reporting within 72 and 120 hours. International Medical Corps will work very closely with health centers in the different camps to ensure that survivors of sexual assault receive post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) within 72 hours and to receive Emergency Contraceptive (EC) within 120 hours. With the funding from UNOCHA, the project plans to reinforce the already existing services such as case management, psycho-social activities in the Women and Girls Friendly Spaces (WGFS), outreach activities and will coordinate and work closely with UNHCR and ARRA to address the needs of survivors. The already existing structures such as the WGFS, will be used for the psychosocial activities, life skills discussions and individual case management services. In addition, it will also introduce a new activity such closely working with adolescent girls on life skills discussions. With the funding from UNOCHA, the project plans to engage adolescent girls, their parents and the community leaders to improve their safety and wellbeing. The project will target out of school adolescent girls and conduct life skills discussions on a regular basis to minimize risks and their vulnerability. Preliminary discussions with the community and observation show that early marriage is highly practiced in the South Sudanese community but only very few cases are reported. Trained social workers will conduct the life skills discussions in the WGFS based on the timing that is convenient for the adolescent girls. Moreover, the project will also involve the parents on a regular basis so that they have a clear understanding of the program and support their girl’s education. Awareness raising activities on early marriage will also be conducted targeting parents husbands, refugee leaders and Parent Teachers Association (PTA). International Medical Corps recognizes the fact that men and boys play a big role in the awareness raising and with fathers, husbands, community leaders (which are highly dominated by men) and other community members as part of the regular awareness raising and they will also be part of the mini and mass awareness raising programs.  International Women’s Day will also be celebrated during this time and the theme will be on early marriage.