As we commemorate the international campaign"16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence," MSH reflects on our experiences working to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls.
“We remember the hard times the women and girls of Douentza have experienced,” said Animata Bassama, a representative of the women of Douentza, referring to the fighting and ensuing gender-based violence (GBV) that plagued Mali in 2012.
Animata spoke to a crowd of 100 government officials, NGO representatives, health and finance officials, women’s advocates, and community members. A new center for GBV survivors, fortified by concrete and adorned in yellow and pink, was her backdrop.
“And to the entire population of Douentza, we must unite in peace and understanding to effectively manage this center together,” she continued.
In May 2016, the FCI Program of MSH, with funding from UN Women, opened a center next to the Douentza Referral Health Center to provide a safe space for GBV survivors to seek medical and psychosocial care, as well as temporary shelter.