Universal-Womens-accesss-to-justice-Publications-Practitioners-Guide-Series-2016-ENG

170 PRACTITIONERS GUIDE No. 12
services for immigrant survivors of violence, for
survivors of trafficking in women or for women who
have suffered sexual harassment at the workplace),
where appropriate;
One rape crisis centre for every 200,000 women;
Access to health care, including reproductive health
care and HIV prophylaxis; and
Services should be run by independent and
experienced women’s non-governmental
organizations providing gender-specific, empowering
and comprehensive support to women survivors of
violence, based on feminist principles. 451
Policing: basic principles
Legal advocacy in this area is extremely important, for
example, using standards to raise complaints regarding police
failures, or showing negligence on the part of the police.
As women subjected to violence often tend to fear or distrust
police services, a priority should be placed on reform of policing
laws and practice and the training of police officers on all
aspects of providing a service to women who are victims of
gender-based violence. 452 This should include a robust
confrontation of police attitudes that foster, justify or tolerate
451
UN Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women, above
note 413, page 31.
452
Updated Model Strategies and Practical Measures, above note 380,
paragraph 16(c) of which urges States to “promote the use of
specialized expertise in the police, among prosecution authorities and
in other criminal justice agencies, including through the establishment,
where possible, of specialized units or personnel and specialized courts
or dedicated court time, and to ensure that all police officers,
prosecutors and other criminal justice officials receive regular and
institutionalized training to sensitize them to gender and child-related
issues and to build their capacity with regard to violence against
women”.