There is need for better coordination of civil society organisations’ activities related to gender based violence (GBV) prevention and response, the Chief Gender Monitor said.

Rose Rwabuhihi, was speaking yesterday during a consultative meeting organised by Gender Monitoring Office to disseminate findings from a study on service offered by civil society organisations in GBV prevention and response.

"We appreciate what civil society organisation do in terms of GBV prevention and response. However, there is a need for joint planning and coordination of their activities to avoid duplication,” Rwabuhihi said.

"GBV victims need different forms of support such as psycho-trauma recovery support, legal aid and financial support, among others. Yet, that kind of support is scattered in different organisations. There is, therefore, need to jointly coordinate such activities.”

Rachel Nyiracumi, the in charge of child protection and gender based violence in the Association of Volunteers in international Services, Rwanda chapter (AVSI Rwanda), attributed the poor coordination to poor oversight and monitoring of civil society activities.

She said, "There is no organ to coordinate civil society interventions in particular districts. There is need for the government to establish committees that can work closely with organisations operating in districts to ensure proper coordination.”

Gregoire Rucamumihigo, the coordinator of Association pour le Development du People (ADP) that provides legal assistance to GBV victims, cited financial constraints among their challenges.

"Sometimes you can support a GBV victim and think you have done enough due to limited financial means yet much more needs to be done. For instance, you can help a GBV victim to get to the hospital and think that you are done because your means are limited. Yet, the victim needs support in filing and pursuing the case. I believe with coordination, means can be combined and then victims could get quality support,” Rucamumihigo explained.

The study revealed several challenges hindering civil society organisations to deliver effectively on GBV prevention and response.

They include capacity challenges, being confined mainly in urban areas, inadequate coordination mechanisms leading to duplication of efforts, lack of information sharing system, unilateral planning, among others.

However, Jean Paul Munyandamutsa, the in charge of joint action development forums (JADF) at the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), said ways to coordinate civil society activities have been devised.

"RGB now registers all Civil Society Organisations indicating their area of intervention. We always follow up on them to see if they have not drifted from their original objectives. Besides, when they start operating, we ask them to adhere to the district’s JADF.”

The monitoring survey covered 24 civil society organisations operating in 10 districts, namely Rulindo, Gakenke, Ruhango, Nyanza, Ngororero, Gatsibo, Bugesera, Rubavu, Nyarugenge and Kicukiro.

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