One-Stop-Centre: A place where women survivors of violence feel safe

Nisaa FM: - Ramallah has since April 2017 been home to the first “One Stop Centre” in Palestine. The centre is part of a joint UN Women, UNDP and UNICEF programme and offers 24-hour facility with various services that survivors of violence need. This could be medical, legal aid, temporary shelter and police protection, and it is all under one roof, hence the term One Stop Centre. Within a few months since it opened, the One Stop Centre has served over 400 women and juvenile survivors of violence.

“I was seven months pregnant when I ran away from my husband’s extreme violence and arrived at the Family Protection Unit in Ramallah,” says Sana Ali (name changed), a 23-year-old woman who recently visited Palestine’s first One Stop Centre for survivors of violence, with her two-and-a-half-year-old son. Ali had given birth to her son at a women’s shelter in Bethlehem at the time.

“The One Stop Centre is different from other facilities,” Sana explains. “It has all the necessary services in one place, and you don’t have to worry about going to other places and risk your privacy,” she says.

Founded on gender-sensitive guidelines

The centre is located in Ramallah in the same building as the Family and Juvenile Protection Unit (FJPU) of the Palestinian Civil Police. UN Women has provided a series of capacity building trainings to the staff to strengthen their understanding of the different needs that survivors of violence have. The One Stop Centre was founded following gender-sensitive guidelines and contains female receptionists, a second entrance away from main road to ensure privacy, a short-term shelter which can accommodate two women at once, and a children’s play room.

“Many Palestinian women suffer from violence by their spouses and when they try to seek help from their family, the attempts are often rejected by the family due to traditional values. The One Stop Centre is open to all Palestinians, especially women and juveniles who suffer from any kind of violence,” says Major Abla Fazaa (photo left), the Head of the Family and Juvenile Protection Unit in Ramallah, who is also heading the One Stop Centre. “By placing all necessary services in one place, we guarantee that their privacy is protected,” she explains.

Survivors who visited the centre unanimously responded that they felt safe, protected and empowered: “The moment I entered the centre, I knew I was safe,” tells Maya Saeed (name changed), a 25-year-old woman who frequently comes to the centre. With the legal support she received at the centre, she recently filed a complaint against her abusive husband. “I feel empowered as I can show him that I have police and lawyer backing me up, and also a place to stay,” she continues. “I have many friends who are in the same situation as me… I will encourage my friends not to stay silent and come here and get help.”

Source: www.unwomen.org