Supporting Lives Free from Intimate Partner Violence
Towards Better Integration of Services for Victims/Survivors
Many OECD governments regularly identify violence against women as the top gender equality issue their country faces. Yet in all countries, addressing this multifaceted issue presents serious governance and implementation challenges as victims/survivors have complex needs both during and after experiences of violence. Different service delivery providers such as health, justice, housing and social protection must work together seamlessly – across governmental and non-governmental providers – to provide an effective response. This report presents a stocktaking of OECD governments’ efforts to integrate service delivery to address the most prevalent form of gender-based violence against women: intimate partner violence. It presents an overview of different strategies for coordinating key services commonly offered in OECD countries: healthcare, justice, housing, child services, income support, and preventative programmes to stop the reoccurrence of violence. Based on extensive feedback from 35 out of 38 OECD countries and a consultation with non-governmental service providers, this report identifies best practices and investigates the barriers to resolving one of the most pressing human rights issues in OECD countries today.
Preventing violence from taking root: Integrated services from prevention to crisis support
Gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) often escalate over time. Early and preventative interventions are therefore critical to limiting harm. Co‑ordination across service providers can ensure that women undergo appropriate danger assessments and receive adequately tailored support, and that perpetrators are consistently held to account to prevent violence from escalating. Unfortunately, stigma, distrust of public authorities, and other factors mean that many women only report their perpetrators and seek help when their relationship reaches the point of crisis. At this point, it is crucial that crisis response teams provide accessible services and can refer victims/survivors to co‑ordinating partners for rapid intervention to save lives.
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