Page 108 - Syrians in Türkiye - Special Report

GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TÜRKİYE THE OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION

In situations such as wars and migration, women often lose the men in their families,
thus becoming more vulnerable and are more likely to experience physical, sexual, or
psychological violence.

“Women’s health counseling centers have been opened in order to strengthen women
and girls who are in a more vulnerable situation with specific needs that are generally
ignored in crisis and disaster situations. These centers are areas where women and girls
can obtain information and services related to reproductive health and sexual health,
gender-based violence, and psychosocial support, and can acquire various skills, obtain
hygiene and personal care supplies and can rebuild their social networks.

The Ministry of Health, in cooperation with MFSP and supported by ECHO funding,
provide services in reproductive health and gender-based violence, and in the Ministry
of Health clinics, they provide clinical and psychological services; if deemed necessary,
the people who are served are directed to MFSP health units. The United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA) also provides service in 25 centers located throughout
64
Türkiye.
Additionally, MFSP serves women who are victims of violence through the Women’s
Guesthouse, the First Admissions Unit, and the Violence Prevention and Monitoring
Center (VPMC). These services include protection for victims of violence, provision of
safe accommodation, psychosocial support, guidance in legal matters, and provision of
free legal services when necessary. Syrian women as well as Turkish citizens can benefit
from all these services. As of August 2017, 221 Syrian females and 235 accompanying
children had received accommodation in women’s guesthouses.

In addition, a number of training activities have been offered in order to empower the
Syrian women who fled their countries and took refuge in our country. The “Program
for Combating and Intervening in Gender-Based Violence, and Humanitarian Aid” a
collaborative effort between the Directorate General on the Status of Women, AFAD,
and UNFPA, to increase awareness of gender-based violence, build capacity among
center staff serving Syrians, and provide technical support to our country regarding this
issue, took place in the Nizip temporary accommodation center in Gaziantep between
April 2013 and June 2015. A “Helping the Helpers” training program consisting of
three stages was given to the center staff: the first stage covered “Trauma Information
for Emergencies,” the second stage addressed “Personal Skills and Communication,”

64 UNFPA Türkiye. “Introducing UNFPA Women’s Health Counseling Centers” (accessed August 21, 2017); available
from http://turkey.unfpa.org/tr/video/unfpa-kad%C4%B1n-sa%C4%9Fl%C4%B1%C4%9F%C4%B1-
dan%C4%B1%C5%9Fma-mer ke zler i-tan%C4%B1t%C4%B1m%C4%B1-tr t-haber-
r%C3%B6portaj%C4%B1.

108 SYRIANS IN TÜRKİYE SPECIAL REPORT