By Coordination SUD, Forus member in France.

While many NGOs support victims of gender-based violence, their staff can also be perpetrators or victims. Today, it remains difficult for NGOs to deal with these situations, due to a lack of expertise, tools and appropriate procedures. To respond to this need, Coordination SUD - with the support of Forus - has developed a specific course offered to French NGOs entitled: “Protecting against gender-based violence and sexual abuse: complaints, investigations and impacts”. The training lasts for 3 days and is repeated annually. 

The training course is aimed at those in charge of human resources, programmes and operations as well as administrators within NGOs. The training is led by a trio comprising of a clinical psychologist who specialises in psycho-trauma, a lawyer who specialises in assisting victims of sexual violence and issues of harassment in the workplace, and a Major of the Gendarmerie who commands the squad. 

The multidisciplinary method allows a holistic approach to be adopted and for several different aspects to be addressed: French and international legal frameworks,  different types of violence and power relationships, the consequences of gender-based violence, the handling of complaints and support for victims, the management of investigations (collection and examination of evidence, interviews, drafting of investigation reports), the identification and implementation of specific actions in terms of management. To date, Coordination SUD has organised this training twice, with 21 people participating, representing 13 NGOs and the level of satisfaction is high. 

Combatting gender-based violence requires a profound cultural change within organisations and societies that are still very patriarchal and/or linked to unstable environments which act as a catalyst for gender inequality and other forms of abuse of power. As such, Coordination SUD remains attentive to the continuum of violence and is committed to offering comprehensive support to NGOs (practice discussion groups, workshops, e-learning modules and courses) both on the themes of gender and gender equality and on the prevention and fight against gender-based and sexual violence.