Increasing Access to Social and Medical Practitioners for Victims of S/GBV
The J4A programme in collaboration with Sexual Assault Referral Centres
(SARCs) is providing support for the training of medical practitioners and social workers in various states across Nigeria. The training was aimed at ensuring that medical practitioners and social workers in other states that do not have SARCs are able to help victims of Sexual/Gender Based Violence. Participants included practitioners from Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ekiti, Enugu, Kaduna, Yobe and Zamfara States.
Mrs Bernie Ryan, Manager of St Mary’s SARC Manchester in the United Kingdom facilitated the work with staff of the Mirabel and TAMAR Centres in Lagos and Enugu States.
At the end of the training workshop participants revealed that they had gained a lot of knowledge about the challenges involved in treating victims of S/GBV. A participant Dr Nene Andem said, “I have learnt a lot on how to take care of rape victims and as a rape client, I have learnt not to be judgmental of their situation. I have also learnt how to access and examine them because the circumstance they find themselves in is very challenging.’’