Services Ensured

Objective of Strategy: Meet the needs of survivors of violence against women (VAW) and seek to prevent further violence through the provision of essential services, including police, legal, health and social services (NB This is NOT in itself prevention work but a complement to prevention)

Evidence of impact:

There have been limited rigorous studies on the impact of service interventions in LMICs or HICs on prevention, and so far, there is no evidence that the following services reduce women’s experience of violence. However, it is important to ensure that there are robust response services available where a prevention program is being implemented. Furthermore, response interventions might improve other outcomes, such as survivors feeling safer, supported, empowered, and more comfortable with disclosure and reporting:

• Advocacy interventions (advice and support to women to access to services) 
• Shelters and safe homes
• Hotlines
• One-stop crisis centres 
• Women’s police stations or units 
• Screening in the health sector

Data suggests that improving service provider response requires system-wide institutional change that embeds training in gender transformative frameworks, policies or curricula.