Port-au-Prince, June 25, 2022 --- “We support women and girls who have suffered violence in all forms,” says the coordinator of the “Organization of Women in Action of Pliché” (OFAP), in the town of Cavaillon , in the department “Sud”.
Louise Marie Naissant speaks about Kathy Mangonès space, a space made available to organizations by OXFAM that UNFPA Haiti has used to create a safe space with the technical support of the Organization "Fanm Deside".
“We accompany women and girl survivors of violence to the hospital when it’s necessary,” says Naissant.
We supervise them in the process so that they have a medical certificate, underlines the head of OFAP. We assist them in follow-ups with the court and follow their case until they obtain justice, she adds.
Kathy Mangonès recently worked on a case of rape committed by an 18-year-old attacker on a 7-year-old girl from the third communal section of Cavaillon, in the “Gros Marin” area.
The parents of the aggressor helped him to escape, believes Naissant. “However, we have a warrant for his arrest, we are awaiting his return for the necessary follow-up,” she says.
"We receive women and girls who are survivors of violence", notes the representative of the Organization “Groupement des Femmes Progressistes pour l’Avancement de Corail (GOUFPAC).
We organize training for them so that they know what to do exactly when they are subjected to violence, assures Nadine Julien speaking on behalf of the Henriette Saint-Marc space based in the department “Grand'Anse”.
"These safe spaces are important, because women and girls in Pliché (Sud) and Corail (Grand'Anse) suffer a lot of sexual, physical, verbal and economic violence", say the representatives of OFAP and of GOUFPAC.
“It was important for them to have a space to protect themselves against their possible attackers”, believe Naissant and Julien.
Women expressed their satisfaction through popular songs depicting the reality of Haitian women in general and those living in rural areas in particular.
After the earthquake of August 14, 2021, UNFPA's humanitarian response was deployed in Haiti, more particularly in the southern and Western part of Haiti to prevent excess maternal and neonatal mortality and also contribute to the reduction of Gender-based violence (GBV) in the departments “Sud”, “Nippes” and “Grand'Anse”.
Safe spaces have been created and/or rehabilitated within the framework of the EF project in the said departments, in relation to the CERF, USAID and MTPTC projects.
Text and photos: Vario Sérant
Texte traduit du Français à l’Anglais par :
Jhunie Laura Ganème et Michael Johnson Leger,
Officiers communautaire
