Background

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a human rights issue that affects women throughout the world, posing one of the greatest threats to women's health and life. Women are at the greatest risk of gender-based violence from family members and those closest to them. In situations of armed conflict and war, acts of sexual and gender-based violence may be committed by warring factions as a means to hurt, control and humiliate the victims. In these situations, violence may include rape, exploitation, assault, torture or other forms of humiliating and harmful sexual violations. Survivors of sexual and gender-based violence experience many forms of trauma, from physical abuse and infections/diseases to feelings of depression and terror to social stigmatization.  

Heartland's Programs

Domestically, Heartland Alliance offers Violence Recovery Services, which assists more than 450 children and adults each year.  Victims of domestic and sexual violence gain access to counseling, case management, legal advocacy, and parental support through this Heartland Alliance program. 

Internationally, Heartland Alliance Provides a variety of protection and support services for victims of sexual and gender-based violence. Programs include support for individual victims through psychosocial, medical, and legal services. A focus on the community is also stressed through mediation development and reintegration support services.  Training, capacity building, and collaboration with local organizations and government ministries increases protection against gender-based violence as well as improves services for victims and increases gender sensitivity.

International Programs

Heartland Alliance's international programs that develop protection and services for victims include:

• A program developing community-level psychosocial support for victims of sexual and gender-based violence through counselor training in the Democratic Republic of Congo;

• A rehabilitation center that offers mental, medical, vocational and legal services to former female child soldiers in Burundi with the aim of successful social reintegration;

• Comprehensive mental health services for women living with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda as well as training for female counselors in the effects of psychological trauma associated with violence and sexually based violence on the immune system;

• Gender-based violence prevention in Iraq through legal, medical and social assistance for victims as well as legal advocacy and media campaigns to reduce gender based violence;

• Training social workers and other mediation trainers to encourage the use of mediation to prevent violence against women in Iraq;

• Training women in camps of internally displaced people to offer mediation services to prevent violence against women in Iraq;

• A research program to track and document gender-based violence in Iraq;

• Regional protection for Iraqi victims of sex trafficking in the Middle East;

• Improving protections and expanding services for persons institutionalized in mental health, women's shelter, and juvenile reformatories in Iraq.