PROTECT Her: Promoting Resilience, Opportunities and Thriving Environments - Creating Safe Spaces in Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Sumy ltpgtCorus and its local partners, Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health (UFPH) and the League of Modern Women (LoMW), will leverage their active presence in country, trusted relationships with communities and government, and expertise in responding to humanitarian crises, inclusive of gender-based violence (GBV), to implement a 12-month project that provides lifesaving, holistic, confidential, high-quality services to war-affected women and girls. In Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernihiv, the Russian invasion and occupation has led to a dramatic escalation in conflict-related sexual violence and instances of survival sex. The war, resultant displacement, loss of income, and attendant trauma—both physical and psychological—have instilled mistrust and despair, translating to a lack of awareness of assistance options, especially among the most vulnerable. ltbrgtCorus and its local partners will facilitate access to critical services for women and girls including disabled, elderly, Roma and other minority groups. The project will: ltbrgt Establish, equip, and staff 6 Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSSs) that offer holistic (e.g., recreational and therapeutic) services to 3,370 GBV survivors and those at-riskltbrgt Strengthen the capacity of 18 WGSS social workers and psychologists to meet GBV in Emergencies (GBViE) minimum standardsltbrgt Provide specialized psychosocial support services for 2,750 GBV survivors and those at-risk ltbrgt Distribution of 1,500 dignity kits to GBV survivors and at-risk individualsltbrgt Improve access to information on GBV awareness and response through the distribution of printed materials, social media content, and local authorities’ websites, reaching 5,780 people ltbrgt Train 90 humanitarian actors in GBV risk prevention and mitigationltbrgt Strengthen Accountability for Affected Populations (AAP) by uniting 190 local and national actors to develop effective approaches to GBV prevention and responseltbrgtThe project will bridge temporary gaps in the GoU's capacity to adequately respond to cases of GBV by establishing WGSSs within regional Centers for Social Services in areas most affected by the conflict. Within each WGSS, trained staff including social workers and psychologists will facilitate the provision of comprehensive assistance to survivors and at-risk individuals, including high-quality, specialized psychosocial support and legal, medical, and financial services. Through this project, Corus, its local partners and government will combine efforts to offer a package of services that exceeds the individual capacities of each, creating a more impactful and comprehensive support system for survivors of sexual violence. This initiative will facilitate continuous updates to intersectoral and integrated referral systems, as well as the development of comprehensive information maps outlining services aligned with local SGBV needs. ltbrgtCorus and its partners will establish and sustain the 6 WGSSs in: Koryukivska (population 21,244) and Menska (26,016) in the Chernihiv region Iziumska (23,671) and Lozivska (90,000) in the Kharkiv region and Hlukhivska (37,931) and Lebedynska (42,847) in the Sumy region. Three of these communities were previously under occupation by Russian troops (Hluhivska, Koriukivska and Iziumska), while the others currently accommodate significant numbers of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). In total, the project will reach an estimated 12,936 unique beneficiaries (7,068 direct and 5,868 indirect).ltbrgtCorus will provide technical leadership, management, oversight, and monitoring and evaluation while leading engagement with UHF, the government, and other development partners. UFPH and LoMW will provide staffing in each of the six WGSSs, facilitate activities within each space, and develop GBV awareness campaigns. Corus, UPFH, and LoMW will co-lead training activities aimed at strengthening the capacity of providers, humanitarian actors, and community representatives in GBV prevention and response.ltbrgtlt/pgt