Local leaders learning how to help victims of violence
THE Ministry of Women’s Affairs has been training regional head advisers on basic counselling for women and children who have been victimised by violence.
The ministry has conducted the training in eight of the 25 provinces in line with the government’s policy of transferring human resources and budgets to the sub-national level.
The General Department of Social Development deputy director in charge of Legal Protection at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Sar Sinet, told The Post on Monday that the ministry had completed the training course for 25 judicial police agents and officials (six men) from eight provinces last Friday.
“According to the minist r y’s plan for t his first step, we will work with head trainers in t he capita l and 24 provinces on the minimum standards for basic counselling for women and children who have been v ictimised by gender-related v iolence. Training will ta ke place from June until August,” she said.
Sinet said the ministry wants sub-national level officials to become good service providers for the women and children. Hence, officials need to improve their knowledge and learn about psychological methods to help vulnerable victims.
“Having been trained, our officials can take [this] knowledge to the relevant people at the sub-national level because the ministry’s goal is to expand human resources and provide the service to local areas.
“This is important because experts at the ministry cannot be in local areas in all provinces and cities all the time,” Sinet said.
She said tra ining is just t he first step, as t he ministr y has a series of additiona l steps t hat follow.
The Ministry’s general director of Social Development Nhean Sochetra presided over a ceremony on Friday to conclude the training course for the 25 head trainers that successfully completed the course.
“As a result of the training, judicial police agents and officials learned about the minimum standards for basic counselling for women and children who have been victimised by gender-related violence and basic rights of victims and how to prepare themselves as service providers,” she said.
Sochetra said through the training, participants were taught lessons to strengthen their capacity to become trainers and then to become service providers at the subnational level.
Rights group Licadho monitor Am Sam Ath said the government and the ministry had, in the past, worked to disseminate violence related to women and children.
“We support the training course for the officials in the capital and the provinces in providing services to protect women and children. Some citizens are still unaware that they can receive such services,” he said.
Sam Ath said violence and abuse against women and children are still a concern, such as a father raping his daughter or a grandfather molesting his granddaughter.