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PART III : THEORY
When health personnel inform communities about rape , they need to identify an appropriate approach to the discussion . It is important to remember that silence permits the perpetrators of crimes like rape to act without criticism or risk to themselves . It permits them to continue to harm and terrorise individuals and communities .
When addressing GBV , it is sensible to start by making a context analysis . What is the general situation in the community ? The analysis may consider poverty , vulnerability , gender relations , and the broader political and economic situation of the country . It is vital to ensure that your analysis provides the community with information that it considers relevant and valuable . In the course of preparing the analysis , map the nature and extent of GBV and local responses to it at community level , taking account of who the perpetrators are , and customary law . Your analysis should highlight the vulnerability of men and boys as well as women and girls . Consider the roles and contributions of :
• The national legal framework governing GBV ( including international commitments and national laws ) and responses to it by the judiciary and police .
• International development partners working on GBV , including multilateral and bilateral agencies , and international NGOs . UNFPA is mandated to lead on GBV within the UN family .
• Local organisations working on GBV , including human rights organisations , women ’ s associations , and NGOs . Where they exist , associations of women ’ s lawyers are a good source of information .
Experience indicates that the potential of local organisations , and local women ’ s organisations in particular , is not utilised fully . Local organisations and networks understand the local context , have access to contacts and resources not available to international agencies , and are acceptable to the local population . If they are involved from an early stage , they can help outsiders to adapt their programmes in appropriate ways to local circumstances ( Herstad 2009 ).
It may be helpful to bear in mind a few additional rules of thumb .
• Evaluate whether the community ’ s existing systems and procedures provide an adequate framework and entry points to scale up GBV prevention and response programmes .
• Be sure to find a suitable , culturally acceptable way to present information .
• To make progress , GBV prevention and response should be visible and credible . As far as possible they should be promoted in cooperation with local leaders and with community support .
• Impunity for perpetrators of GBV is an important factor in GBV ’ s continuation . It should be affirmed that the community does not tolerate impunity . Leaders and high officials should set the standard for acceptable behaviour and should be persuaded to champion the argument that their community will benefit if it ceases to be violent .
Family and close network
The support of families and close friends is of the utmost importance for victims of sexual violence . If possible , talk first to family members , friends , and other members of a survivor ’ s social network – any person whom the survivor trusts and agrees to contact . The survivor ’ s family in particular will need information and advice . Find out what the family and close contacts think about what happened . Give them relevant information about trauma and possible reactions to it . Tell them that their support is vital for the survivor ’ s recovery . If no family members or close contacts can be found or mobilised , seek to create new support networks among the survivors themselves .