Karen Department of Health and Welfare of Annual Report 2011

Gender Based Violence Counseling Pilot Project
KDHW participated in a pilot project with partner organizations called “Community-based Care
for Survivors of Sexual Assault” in 2010. In the pilot areas, Ta Oo Der and Tee Mu Ta MHCs,
focus is on women between the ages of 14 and 45. The project has been paired with the KRHFP
and trains RCHWs and TBAs to identify and treat victims of sexual assault and educate the
community on these issues. This pilot project ended at the end of 2011.
A refresher training was held for RCHWs from all clinic areas in early July 2011 for 18 health
workers, including those from Tee Mu Ta and Ta Oo Der. Integrated into the training was a
section on gender based violence, including lectures on clinical care for survivors of sexual
assault. At the end of the training, trainees from the KDHW and BMA pilot sites participated in
focus group discussions and in in-depth interviews conducted by the Women’s Refugee
Commission. Trainees also were trained on how to conduct focus group discussions with
various groups in the community.
At the completion of the RCHW training, RCHWs from the pilot sites returned to their clinic
areas and provided training to TBAs working in the field on gender based violence counseling.
Over 160 TBAs were trained, including 21 TBAs from the pilot areas. The training included care
for survivors of sexual assault, and discussions of the definition of gender based violence, its
causes, contributing factors, and available services.
A focus group discussion with TBAs on gender based violence counseling
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