A tool for developing an organisational strategy to provide victim-centred support for migrant women victims of gender-based violence provides an overview of how to create and put into practice an organizational strategy for assisting refugee and migrant women victims of gender-based violence. The strategy places a strong focus on improving the capacity of counsellors – the cornerstones of assistance – to provide the assistance. The framework encourages organisations to assess their current practices, and to develop clear goals, policies, and management practices through participatory processes. By following the steps in this guidance organisations can enhance their understanding of what is needed at the strategic level to develop truly victim-centred models of assistance and to implement and evaluate these regularly.
The cornerstones of the framework for becoming a truly professional expert organisation champion in providing support- for migrant women who have experienced violence include working in a victim-centred manner within a trauma-informed organization, while ensuring the wellbeing of the counsellors.
The framework consists of 5 steps and each of them includes discussion topics, questions for your consideration, some practical guidance and references to additional materials. You can use this tool as a step-by-step checklist and supplement the steps based on the needs and focus areas of your organization.
Step 1: Defining strategic goals
Step 2: Perspectives that support inclusivity
Step 3: Perspectives that support counsellors’ wellbeing
Step 4: Measures for creating impact
Step 5: Continuous evaluation and adaptation
This guidance was developed as a part of the EU-funded project "SARAH: Safe, Aware, Resilient, Able and Heard – protecting and supporting migrant women victims of gender-based violence."
