NIPIP and WHO: together against sexual violence

According to estimates by the World Health Organization, on average, one in three women worldwide (35 percent) has experienced physical and/or sexual violence from a partner or sexual violence from another person in her lifetime, in most cases in an intimate relationship. Gender-based violence is a public health problem that affects women's health, well-being, reproductive health and mental health.

Poland aims to strengthen the capacity of the health sector to respond to the needs of women, men, boys and girls who are experiencing violence in the wake of the crisis in Ukraine. The World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that it is the responsibility of the public health sector to provide assistance and services - delivered safely and with dignity to those experiencing violence. The WHO also supported efforts to strengthen the health system's capacity to respond to cases of gender-based violence, particularly in the clinical management of rape and the capacity of health sector partners to provide first-line support to those experiencing violence.

Current activities are aimed at improving the knowledge and skills of medical and non-medical personnel directly dealing with people experiencing violence in Poland, in accordance with WHO guidelines.

The main goals of the training, which NIPIP is co-organizing, are to improve the skills of health care personnel in clinical skills that will strengthen the health care system's ability to respond to cases of sexual and intimate partner violence, among others. The outcome is to create a network of health care professionals bringing together those most involved in providing and promoting women-centered care in cases of gender-based violence, and to increase the knowledge and skills of health care professionals so that they can provide national training and technical support on health system response to cases of gender-based violence based on WHO tools, resources and guidelines. The next step is to develop a follow-up plan to strengthen the health system's capacity to respond to violence against women. 

The trainee will be required, over a period of no more than 12 months, to organize and conduct training for at least 20 people in the region where he or she works. The cost of the trainers' salaries will be covered by the Supreme Chamber of Nurses and Midwives. The plan is to train at least 900 people nationwide who will directly provide assistance in cases of violence, working in medical facilities.

Source: press release