The Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (Wongosol) has presented over 300 thousand Medical Report Books for documentation on Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Liberia.
Health workers at Health facilities and SGBV workers at the One Stop Centers in the country will use the record books to track activities of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence reported at their various localities.
The Medical Report Books will help in generating evidence that can be used for survivors’ cases in a Court of Law.
The initiative is a component of the project titled, “Strengthening Collaborations and Responding to GBV, Economic Empowerment and Increase Representation of Women in Political Leadership at County and National Levels in Liberia,” with support from Kvinna till Kvinna and funded by SIDA.
The Objective is to advance collaborations and establish networks that will amplify women’s voices, reduce violence, and sustain the socio-economic empowerment of women in Liberia.
This initiative is geared at strengthening the monitoring and response services of SGBV in coordination with national actors to reduce Gender-Based Violence in Liberia.
WONGOSOL Jointly monitors and supports frontline SGBV actors through existing early warning structures through the Ministry of Justice Sex Crime Unit.
Giving an overview of the activity, WONGOSOL Program Manager, Willet Salue said the Medical report books for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) at one-stop centers are crucial for several reasons.
According to her, the books will document detailed evidence of survivors’ physical conditions, ensure health care is provided for them, and serve as a medium of data collection and analysis, while empowering and validating survivors’ experiences.
“These reports provide detailed documentation of the survivor’s physical and psychological condition, which is essential for legal proceedings. Accurate records can support the survivor’s case in court, helping to bring perpetrators to justice.
For its continuity of Care, the medical report books will ensure that all healthcare providers involved in the survivor’s care have access to consistent and comprehensive information.
This continuity, according to WONGOSOL, is crucial to effective treatment and follow-up care.
WONGOSOL Added: “One-stop centers aim to provide comprehensive care, including medical, legal, and psychosocial services. Medical report books help integrate these services, ensuring that survivors receive coordinated and holistic support.”
“These records are valuable for collecting data on the prevalence and nature of SGBV. This information can inform policy-making, improve services, contribute to prevention efforts, provide empowerment and validation for survivors, having their experiences documented and taken seriously.
It will equally validate their experiences and can be a crucial step in their healing process.
Presenting the Books to the Ministry of Justice, Atty. Facia Harris, Board Chair of WONGOSOL cautioned the Ministry to make adequate use of it.
“On behalf of WONGOSOL, I present these medical report books to you and I hope they are used adequately by the relevant persons,” Atty. Harris said.
Receiving the Medical Report Books, Atty Laura Golakeh, Deputy Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection appreciated WONGOSOL and its partners for the efforts applied.
She noted that the Ministry faces a huge gap in terms of Gender Based Violence, of which they are working tirelessly to omit gaps.
Atty. Golakeh then called for a collective effort from CSOs and partners to achieve this goal.
“We want to thank Wongosol for the effort applied. The ministry is concerned about this issue. There’s a huge gap in what we face, and the ministry cannot do all,” Atty. Golakeh averred.
“We want to have a gender-based violence information management system”
The occasion was graced by participants from one-stop centers, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Justice among others.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Cynthia Blapooh- SGBV Coordinator at the Ministry also lauded WONGOSOL for the initiative.
She however expressed the need for Health workers to get proper training to have proper documentation.
“We appreciate your kind donation because this is important. We are also working on things, let’s be patient, this is a new government,” Dr. Blapooh stated.
Dr. Blapooh at the same time cautioned health workers and associates against charges for SGBV cases.
According to her, SGBV cases are free of charge and anyone collecting money for such cases violates the law.
“In this public manner, I would like to say that SGBV services are free and there should be no cost attached. The Minister of Health is key in that and if we find people in that habit there will be consequences for that,” Dr. Blapooh noted.
The Women Non-Governmental Organizations Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) is a non-governmental, non-discriminatory, and secular women-based organization established as an organ to coordinate the activities of women organizations in Liberia since 1998.
